A False Reverence
by electricteena
Summary: Wilhelmina is a young Asgardian that wants nothing to do with the high society life she was born to live. After spying on Prince Loki, she believes he may be the key to changing her fate. Of course she gets way more than she bargains for when he agrees to help. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story starts before the events in Thor and will end after the Avengers. I'll put up warnings as more mature chapters are published. Flames are never welcome.

Chapter 1:

"WILHELMINA!"

Her mother's scream followed her as she stormed out of her home and into the heart of Asgard. It was the middle of the day and the streets were bustling with merchants selling their wares. People flooded the streets, but in her haste, she managed to push them aside. She did not hear any of the admonishments from the people she laid rough hands on; she was so angry.

They were idiots, every single one of them. Well, not Dagmar, but her sister could test her nerves at times. No, her damned tutors, her father and especially her mother were the idiots.

How could they ever expect her to be a part of the royal court? She had nothing in common with those pompous, gold worshippers. Could they not see that she was destined for better things? Granted, she was not yet sure what the better things were, but when she found out, surely they would see things her way. Maybe.

Wilhelmina blazed a trail that carried her far from her home and to the palace gardens. Though she hated the members of the royal court she would often see strolling around the flowers, she always found herself there when she needed to escape.

She felt unappreciated, and most definitely underestimated. She had proven herself time and time again to be a scholar. She always managed to startle her tutors with how well she was able to pick up on any subject they taught her. She was an accomplished painter, and had a working knowledge of six different musical instruments. For her parents to now tell her that she was of age to join court was insulting. She would never let all the knowledge she had worked to acquire fade away as she buried herself in the trivial life of upper society.

She was heading towards her usual resting place that lay in the middle of a small cluster of trees where their branches hung low with the heaviness of the fruit they carried. Since she was a girl, she would lay in the shade of the trees with a large book, feasting on the fruit. She threw herself on the grass and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them tightly.

Run? Where to? Perhaps she could find a place that her parents' reputation could not reach, where she could be her own person without her family name hanging over her.

She shook her head, as if trying to empty it of the troubling thought. She would not run away, Asgard was the only home she knew. The only home she ever wanted to know. How many decades had she spent wandering the streets of the golden city, wishing to rule over them? To have the tables turn on everyone that thought they could control her or her future? Her mind was her greatest weapon and she would use it however she needed to change her fate.

The sound of footsteps stirred her from her musings and she retreated further into the trees. A second later, Lord Val turned a corner with a woman Wilhelmina recognized as a noble. Val was a stout, aged man with a beard that reached down to his round belly. His clothes may have been suitable for his status, but certainly not his weight. She feared that one of the straining buttons of his coat would pop off and maim someone. She cringed at the idea of making this man's acquaintance if her parents had their way.

She gave a quiet groan when the couple seated themselves on a stone bench directly across from her hiding place. Now she was stuck listening to whatever Lord Val was clearly boasting about. Several awkward minutes passed, and just as she felt herself dozing off, more approaching steps tore her from her stupor. They were coming from close behind her. With more agility than she thought she possessed, Wilhelmina climbed the tree she had been hiding behind and steadied herself on one of the low hanging branches, just as the stranger came into view. She held her breath.

From where she sat, she could just make out the profile of the stranger through the leaves. She immediately noticed that he was lean and very pale; the black of his hair made a stark contrast to his skin. Her heart beat faster as she took in his attire. He wore black and green leather, with gold plates around his collar and wrists. It was the clothing of someone very high up the tiers of royalty.

As realization dawned on her, she clapped a hand to her mouth to prevent her whimpers from being heard. Prince Loki stood beneath her, taking her place in spying on the nobles.

She had overheard countless stories about the prince and had observed the portraits of him and the rest of the royal family in the halls of the library. Apparently, he had more than earned his title as the God of Mischief. She blushed as she recalled one young woman refer to his tongue as being more masterful than his sorcery. Wilhelmina was surprised that the woman had been intimate with him and lived to tell the tale.

Remembering this, she desperately wanted to be away from him. She was even willing to return home if it meant she could escape without detection.

However, her fear quickly turned to confusion as she saw Loki bend to pick blades of grass. She actually tilted her head as he held the blades of grass to his mouth. She thought that he would eat them before she heard him speak. Was he talking to them? She had little time to decipher his words before he tossed them towards the still seated couple.

It took every ounce of strength she had not to scream as the small blades of grass turned to snakes in midair before they landed atop the lord and lady. There was a great mess of screams and hisses that at first terrified her, but as she saw the way that Lord Val desperately clung to the woman and shrieked to the heavens, she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. When a giggle left her mouth, her head snapped to look below her, but the prince did not seem to hear her.

He was laughing, hysterically. The sight was odd to her as it didn't compare to what she had imagined him to be like. She could not help but smile down at him. She had to admit, even if he was guilty of everything he was accused of, he remained unaffected by their judgment. He held himself together so well while she would turn to stone under any harsh criticism. His magic was legendary, and he held it over their heads. No one could take it away from him, and no one dared to try.

With a huge grin still on his rather handsome face he snapped his fingers, turning the snakes back into grass. Lord Val and his escort immediately ran for their lives. When she turned her head back to Loki, she flinched when she saw that she was alone once again. Where had he gone? Wilhelmina was starting to believe that she may have imagined the whole surreal experience, and then the image of his face crept back into her mind's eye. It was not the cold, stern face she had seen in many paintings, but a face that was alight with mischievous delight. She knew it was a look few would ever witness and she feared it would take centuries for her to forget it.

Carefully lowering herself from the tree, she walked over to the now unoccupied bench. She stooped down to gather the grass, and then rose to turn her steps towards home. Yet another smile graced her features as an idea began to take root.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Her thoughts of the prince's actions would continue well into the next day and many weeks after. Much to her parent's annoyance, Wilhelmina found herself quickly becoming obsessed with the powers of sorcery. She would bother her family over dinner with questions regarding magic, though they tried to refocus her attention. Even her tutors were not safe from her barrage of questions. They would scold her and tell her to focus on her studies, which were beginning to fall to the wayside, something that had never happened before.

After being denied information from everyone she knew, Wilhelmina decided to take action.

She was in the middle of yet another tedious lecture on the realm Vanaheim and its inhabitants when she interrupted Serna.

"Miss Serna?"

The woman had been one of her first tutors, thus she was privy to every excuse she had made to skip her lessons. Wilhelmina feared she would have to reason with her.

"Yes child?"

"I would like to visit the library today."

Serna lifted a fine eyebrow. When she saw the look of determination set on Wilhelmina's face, she sighed, bringing both hands to her hips.

"The last time you were permitted to visit the library you left with a stack of books you were hardly able to carry on your own. You are an intelligent young Aesir Wilhelmina, but I highly doubt you have already read through them all."

She knew this would happen.

"This is true, but I've recently taken an interest in a subject that-"

"Please Wilhelmina, not the damned magic nonsense again!"

She faltered at her tutor's reaction, but she was able to reply with a false ease.

"No, no miss, I am quite finished with that. I was merely hoping to read up on …more appropriate matters…befitting my station."

Serna was giving her a weary look.

Wilhelmina sighed before saying, "I wish to read of royal etiquette, so that when I take my place in court, I will be prepared."

The transformation on the older woman's face was almost comical. Both her brows were now arched in surprise and her previously balled fist shot to her face.

"Miss Wilhelmina! I am so happy to hear you've had a change of heart! Of course you may visit the library, I am sure there is plenty of text on the subject."

She was trying very hard not to laugh at her tutor.

"But what of the Vanir?"

Serna immediately began rolling the parchments and stuffing them into her bag.

"Oh this can wait, miss. You have more important things to focus on after all. Ready yourself, I will call a carriage for you."

"That's quite alright, I would much rather walk."

"Very well."

A thought suddenly came to her.

"Oh and Miss Serna? Please do not tell mother and father about my decision. I will tell them when I feel I am ready."

Serna gave her a genuine smile. "As you wish, my lady."

With that, Serna left through one side of the room and Wilhelmina another.

Xx

Asgard was home to the largest library in all nine realms. Golden columns lined every hall, as well as portraits depicting the realm's impressive history. Her footsteps echoed on the white marble floors lined with gold as she approached the librarian's table. Wilhelmina often found herself wondering if the man lived within the walls of the library he operated with such dedication. Wilhelmina had visited the library at all hours and had yet to see another person occupy the table she now stood before.

Though she knew it would most likely be unnecessary to do, she lowered her voice to just a whisper when asking the location of the section containing books of sorcery. The man looked at her with a look that she could only interpret as skeptical. After a short while he pointed towards her left and gave her detailed directions.

The library was so dense that it took her almost ten minutes to walk to the very back of the first floor of the building. The halls became dimmer and colder the further down she walked, but she would not be deterred from her mission. Finally turning to her right and walking down a row of shelves she could not help but notice the look of the books she passed. Many of them held dust but most looked as though they had never been read.

She finally stopped in front of her desired section. Though it was rarely visited, the amount of books available was staggering. The shelves rose 10 feet high with a ladder provided for reaching the higher tomes. She spent hours scaling the shelves of the abandoned section before she found it. The book was worn and dirty, and Wilhelmina was curious to find that the book was also lightly singed. Still balancing herself on the ladder, she flipped to a random page. The book was written in the runes of her people and her eyes lit up when skimming over a few more pages. It seemed what she found was an instruction book for a beginning sorcerer. Perfect.

From that point on she returned to the library every day, sneaking in more and more supplies to further her studies.

Xx

The explosion resulted in a small mushroom cloud enveloping the area she used as her classroom. When the smoke cleared, her clothes were ruined in black soot, her brown locks a mess around her face and her finger tips burnt. But what brought tears to her eyes was the pile of dust before her that had once been a small bird. A full month had passed and she still was not able to turn a bird into crystal. Perhaps she should practice with fruit instead…

Xx

Loki was not sure what it was that drew him to the library. He had been in his personal study when the explosion occurred but it was not any sound that alerted him, the castle was miles from the library. What caused a cold chill down his spine was the sheer power of the magic that attacked his consciousness.

He was at the library entrance in a second, the magical presence immediately surrounding him. He had long since resigned himself to the fact that magic of this magnitude would only be administered by him. The fact that someone was attempting such a feat was alarming. This would not do.

Whoever this person was, he would have them cease these practices immediately. The prince would not call his sense of urgency intimidation, but more of a precaution.

His senses all but pulled him in the very direction from which the offense originated from. As he drew nearer, he quickly realized that he was walking toward the sorcery section. He himself had not been there in many centuries.

As soon as he turned the corner, he came to an abrupt stop. Of all the scenarios that ran through his mind on his journey to this very spot, this was not one of them.

The entire hall was caked in dust and soot, but in the middle of the chaos was a woman. Her gown was utterly destroyed and she weakly pressed her hands to her chest. She was crying. From the looks of the scene, he could come to many conclusions, but instead he chose one.

Clearing his throat, he spoke to the pile of weeping dust, "You know there are much easier ways to kill yourself."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Wilhelmina gave an absurd squeak when she heard the voice, but when she saw who the voice belonged to, she nearly collapsed. She had expected the librarian to pry himself from his seat to investigate the sound, not the man she was desperately trying to imitate.

He had not changed a bit since she last saw him. Though, he was very aware of her presence this time…and what had he just said…he thought she meant to kill herself? She realized she had yet to respond to his assumption.

She quickly moved to wipe the tears from her face, effectively smearing the dirt. She proceeded to bow her head and place a fist over her heart.

"My prince, I hope I have not disturbed your studies at all. I was in the middle of studying myself…not trying to commit suicide in the library."

He raised an impossibly black eyebrow at her before taking steps toward her.

"This is what your studies consist of?" He held up his hands, indicating the mess.

"NO sir, I was trying to…"

"What?"

"I was trying to turn a bird into crystal, sir."

He gave her a skeptical look. "And where is this bird?"

The tears returned to her eyes and she slowly pointed to the small pile of ash in front of her.

Loki knew he startled her with his bark of laughter, and he found that equally amusing.

"My dear you are quite lethal with your sorcery."

"I didn't mean to…"

He quickly became very serious. "Of course you didn't. Your ignorance could have leveled this entire building."

He was now within touching distance of her. Loki stopped walking before closing his eyes and raising a hand, palm up, in front of him. The dirt began to lift itself from the floor, the walls, and the books before disintegrating into the air. Within seconds, there was no trace of any wrongdoing, save for Wilhelmina's disheveled state. He would take care of this as well.

Reaching out, he let his hand hover above her, letting it drift over the top of her head and down to her hip. She whimpered as his magic cleansed and sorted her clothes and her hair. Inspecting herself, Wilhelmina thought she looked better than she did even before the accident. Yes, she thought, he was talented, more so than she could have ever imagined.

He was so damn close to her. She stared at his neck as he looked down at her.

After a while in silence he gave an exasperated sigh, "Thank me fool; I could have left you standing in filth."

"Thank you, your highness."

He seemed to regard her for a few moments before speaking. "Do not attempt anything like this again. If you do, I shall know, and I may not be in a generous mood the next time."

He gave her another once over before turning on his heel and walking away, leaving her to her shock. She felt like she had just watched opportunity walk away from her. Power, limitless, overwhelming power was just standing in front of her, talking to her, and she let him walk away.

The impossible plan she had considered that day in the garden seemed less likely with each passing second.

Before she could think rationally enough to stop herself, she was following the prince as he made his way out of the library. She knew he sensed her behind him; she was not exactly trying to hide herself.

They had exited the library when he suddenly stopped in the road.

"You are following me."

Silence.

He turned to face her, not at all surprised by her proximity to him.

"Why are you following me?"

"I…wish to ask something of you my prince."

He actually looked taken aback by her answer. No one had ever asked him for anything before. Then again, no one ever blatantly followed him.

"What do you want woman?"

She was desperately trying to steady her breathing, but failing miserably. What finally left her mouth was said more hastily and less convincing than she would have preferred.

"I have heard countless people speak of your ability with your sorcery, but seeing you wield so much power is something else entirely. You are something else my prince and I have become addicted to learning some of what you obviously know. I never thought I would ever have the opportunity to speak with you privately but fate seems to pity me after that unfortunate incident with the bird and here you are! But I suppose I should say what it is a want: My lord, will you consent to me being your student?"

Her words were said with such haste that she exhaled loudly when she was done. She looked at him expectantly.

His brows furrowed together as soon as the words began to leave her mouth. When he assessed their full meaning, the consternation on his face morphed into amusement, and maybe a little pity.

He was going to enjoy letting her down.

"And why would I do such a thing? Tell all my secrets to a woman? By the looks of you, you seem much more equipped for something a little more physical. Beyond that, you have nothing to offer me."

The force of his words made her take a step back. No one had ever spoken to her that way. Her face reddened instantly, but amazingly, she did not give up.

"Be that as it may prince, I do not wish to live my life as a silly noble when I am capable of so much more than that….please, let me learn from you sir."

"No. It is out of the question. I have never had any intention of passing on the knowledge I have spent a millennia acquiring. I will not humor some child looking to rebel."

She heard his words, but was still focusing on what she could possibly have to offer him after all. Money was nothing to him, and she would never let him bed her. What could she possibly have to offer a prince? She wracked her brain for an answer, and she nearly shouted at him when she had it.

"I will give myself to you… for five years! I will be your servant, your slave. I will not come to your bed, but you can have me any other way you see fit, as long as you teach me all that you can within those years. You will have my complete subjugation."

She thought she should probably be upset with how quickly she was able to give herself away, but she could not let that distract her.

The look he gave her was of genuine astonishment.

"Why would I want you when I already have countless servants at my disposal? "

"Because, like them, I fear you. But I also admire you, sir." This earned her another look of surprise. "I am willing to throw myself at your feet in order to have you teach me half of the wonders you know. Please sir, let me be yours so that you may teach me. You will not receive a similar offer from anyone else."

He was quickly growing tired of this girl. He stepped so close to her that their bodies almost touched. His voice was quiet, but menacing.

"I will not be spoken to in this way. You had better thank fate that I have yet to lose my temper. I will not subject myself to your continual presence as my slave or as a student. Pray I never rest my eyes on you again."

With that, he turned and started down the road again. She was already losing herself in despair when he shouted to her over his shoulder.

"Enjoy your days as a court wench. They will break you eventually, and you will be more than willing to spread your legs when they do."

Without one thought into what his reaction might be, Wilhelmina summoned one of the first spells she ever taught herself. Hands at her side, she rose them quickly. The flowers on both sides of the road rose with her arms, stretching into the sky. They were several stories high before she quickly clapped her hands, causing the flowers to bend together to form a solid wall in front of the god, stopping him in his tracks.

Loki whirled around with a look that was both stunned and furious. He was surprised to see that his captor shared his emotion.

He was on her in an instant. He tore her hands apart violently and held both her thin wrists in his hands. He yelled into her face.

"You think your flowers can contain me!?"

Without warning, his eyes widened slightly as he tightly held her wrists. He could feel her pulse hammering away, but also something else. A secondary pulse was running through her. He flinched when he realized what it was; he held the same within his own body.

The magic she had been practicing was already binding to her. The girl didn't even know her own ability, her own power dormant inside of her. It was incredible to witness what had happened to him in another person. Maybe he had underestimated the fool.

He considered how she seemed to worship him. He held back a smirk as a web of possibilities exploded in his mind. He could mold her into a little hellion and watch his pet run loose on the citizens of Asgard. She could be his puppet, and with her unrelenting admiration of him, he could get away with even more than he did now. The thought of controlling someone so completely was almost as appealing as bedding the hopeless creature.

Wilhelmina could not feel any smaller than she did under his sharp gaze. She felt he was reading her from the inside out as he silently stared at her with such intensity that her whole body went cold. Surely he could hear her heart beating? When he finally spoke, his voice had noticeable softened, but it was still tinged with irritation.

"Listen well woman…I will accept your offer. Per your own terms you will be mine for five years in which time I shall teach you a portion of what I know. But if you test my patience, I will not hesitate to cause you pain and dismiss you. Do you understand me?"

She was shaking now, but whether it was from excitement or fear, she did not know.

"Yes, sir."

"It is 'master' now."

"Yes, master."

"Good." He released her, immediately feeling her warm essence leave him. "I will send for you soon. You will come every time I call, day or night, understood?"

"Yes, master."

Turning to face the road yet again he snapped his fingers, setting the wall of flowers on fire. She watched him as he walked through as the flowers fell around him in a shower of ashes. She called out to him.

"My name is Wilhelmina by the way!" He ignored her.

Loki would not see Wilhelmina's satisfied smile and then her overwhelming worry. What had she done?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Two days had passed since she had made her agreement with Loki.

She spent her days hating herself for what she sacrificed for magic. She had given this man her freedom, her sense of personal security, everything to gain power. She had good intentions, but she was wise enough to know that having good intentions did not always equate to happy results. She didn't have the slightest idea of what to expect from the god.

Would he try to humiliate her? Would he teach her the bare minimum in magic and leave the truly remarkable sorcery for himself? What if she managed to anger him? Would he actually hurt her as he all but promised he would? She would not allow herself to be naïve enough to think that he wouldn't. In her distress she felt it would be worth the humiliation to finally possess the knowledge and power she saw in her new master. Her head swam as she envisioned the possibilities that came with such an honor.

She had one reprieve: though she had given Loki temporary ownership of her free will, she had not given him her virtue. She blushed when she remembered how he had looked at her outside the library, the blush quickly turning to a flush of rage as she next recalled his words saying that she had nothing to offer but her body.

After all the hurtful words he shot at her, she still stuck to him, wanted to be his pupil.

They were using each other. All Wilhelmina wanted was to be a sorceress and she knew Loki wanted to have someone that would not judge him. She had seen his face when she revealed that she admired him. It was the truth. Even though, as a person, he was cruel. Greatness can come in all forms, whether for good or bad, and Loki was truly great. How was it that no one else in this realm seemed to acknowledge him for what he was? She had only had one conversation with the man and she already felt that she knew so much about him.

Just when she believed she would be ill with anxiety, her summons arrived.

She had nearly screamed when, as she paced the floor of her chamber, her eyes spotted something on her vanity. A letter that had not been there before had suddenly appeared in her room. She approached it cautiously, the address on the sleeve becoming clearer with each measured step she took toward it.

Finally taking the letter in her hand, she saw that it was her name that was handwritten beautifully across the front. She tore the sleeve apart and pulled open the parchment, reading quietly to herself. Her heart beat painfully in her chest as she took in the words:

_We shall conduct our business in my chambers tonight and every night thereafter. You will need to move swiftly to avoid detection from the guards at the front gates. Head east once you have passed them towards the gardens and there will be four pillars surrounding a fountain. Go there now and I shall meet you._

There was no signature, but Wilhelmina could almost feel Loki's essence rising from the page.

Xx

Loki had returned to his study immediately after leaving her in the road. He sat at his desk and was poised to resume his writings when he froze. Had he really just agreed to take on a student? The whole conversation had been bizarre. She had managed to shock him more in the span of an hour than anyone had done in his eternal life.

He did not have to think on it long. He would never be able to forget how she felt. She was filled to bursting with life and magic. The memory still made him uneasy.

He curled his fists upon the desk and stilled his body. Loki focused on his own pulsing energy, the same pulse that was eerily similar to hers. It truly was amazing to feel the flows of magic radiating through another person. He had been completely fascinated by her at the time.

Now he was stuck with her. For five years. Damn.

He would need a couple days to prepare himself. He was still unsure how far he was willing to go with the woman…what was her name…Wilhelmina.

He would never allow her access to enough power to surpass him, if that were even possible. He first thought of guiding her into more powerful spells slowly, but how much fun would that be?

No, he would try to enjoy this. He would not be the one to suffer. If true power was what she wanted, by Odin, he would give it to the dumb wench.

Xx

Her journey to the gardens was a lonely one. It seemed like all of Asgard was asleep as she walked the streets alone. She pulled her cloak around her tightly as a chill washed over her.

Getting passed the guards was easy enough; the real challenge was trying to keep her heart from rising to her throat. She had never been so afraid. Her mind was so overloaded with unanswered questions that it took a significant amount of energy to remain as positive as possible.

As she turned the corner that would take her directly to the fountain, she kept her eyes to the ground. If he was already there waiting for her, she was not ready to see him. As a result, she nearly collided with Loki as she arrived at their meeting place.

He placed his hands on her shoulders to stop her before she bumped into him. She let out a delightful gasp that caused a smirk to spread over his features.

He waited till she composed herself before he spoke.

"Are you ready?"

Wilhelmina could only nod her head. She watched as he craned his neck to see that they actually were alone.

"Follow me. Stay close." With that he began to move quickly through the garden.

As she obeyed and stayed within a couple steps behind Loki, she took the time to take him in.

He was extremely tall, Wilhelmina's height reaching just to his shoulders. His stance was absolutely regal. At that moment, she was glad that it was so late at night. Had anyone been there to witness the couple, it would seem like a poor child was scuttling behind her guardian.

They walked in utter silence until they reached a wall of vines. Closing his eyes, Loki placed a hand in front of him, causing a door to appear that immediately opened into one of the many halls of the castle.

"You will have to do this yourself soon. I will not always escort you here."

He gave her no time to respond as he walked through the opening and down the hall, with Wilhelmina still close behind.

They arrived at a set of doors that were wider and rose higher than any doors she had ever seen.

Reaching up, Loki ran his hand down the side of the door, causing it to shimmer in a wave of light before there was a clicking sound. Still moving rather quickly, Loki swung the door open and held it for her. Before Wilhelmina even crossed the threshold, her mouth hung open in awe.

It was an enormous room. She felt the prince's personal chambers were half the size of her own home. She had first thought he had taken her to a library with the amount of books that greeted her. Shelves upon shelves decorated the walls and branched out into the middle of the floor. At the center of the racks was a large desk, papers strewn over it. Turning her neck to the left she spied the appearance of a bed on the other side of one of the shelves. Two grand fireplaces shed light on both the bed and the desk.

Wilhelmina finally turned to face Loki at the sound of the door closing. He was standing in the middle of the room with his hands behind his back. He already had a weary look on his face.

She gave him her best smile but her voice was strained with nervousness, "Your quarters are impressive, my prince."

He immediately straightened at her words. "That is not how I've asked you to address me."

She blanched at his abruptness. "Forgive me master."

There was an uncomfortable silence as he continued to stare at her. After a while, he spoke to her in a voice that dripped with authority. "Come here."

She walked towards him slowly, stopping a few feet from him. Even from a distance, it was obvious that he towered over her.

"Closer."

She moved until she stood just before him. He quickly reached for the draw strings of her cloak, pulling them loose.

Wilhelmina gasped as the cloak fell in a heap around her feet, revealing her jeweled pale blue gown. After several panicked minutes after her summons, she opted for elegance, rather than convenience. He regarded her with a look of annoyance.

"From now on, do not where any attire you do not wish to have ruined."

She only nodded in reply, feeling silly for wearing something so extravagant.

Loki was circling her, studying every inch of his student. He desperately wanted to touch her. He hated that he was slightly uncomfortable at having a woman in his chambers after so long. Perhaps they should start before his body betrayed him further.

"After what I saw in the library, I do not have much confidence in your abilities."

She made a face as he rounded her back. "Then my master forgets my trick on the road."

"No, I have not forgotten, and a mere trick is exactly what it was. The sorcery you aim to obtain from me does not reside wholly in nature."

"Oh." She responded lamely.

He stood in front of her now. "I'm afraid I must admit that I am unsure of how to approach this…relationship we now have."

She said nothing as he turned and walked to his desk.

"I suppose all will be sorted as we make progress. Granted you don't frustrate me to a point where I release you from this absurd arrangement."

He retrieved a water-filled chalice from the table and walked over to her with it. He held the glass out to her and as her fingers wrapped around it, he gave his first instruction.

"Turn this water to wine."

She looked up at him with a somber look. They were still both holding on to the glass. Her voice was small.

"How master?"

Loki rolled his eyes. This was going to be the longest five years… "Watch me."

Then the lessons began.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

This was taking entirely too long and he was quickly losing his patience. They had ended their first night on a sour note as Wilhelmina struggled with her first lesson. They were now well into the second night with no sign of improvement. He scowled at her.

"_What_ are you doing?!"

She kept her eyes fixed on the chalice. She had begun shaking with the amount of effort she was putting into turning the water to wine, any wine, please.

"I'm trying master."

"Were you not watching me closely? I've demonstrated this countless of times."

"And I have been trying to imitate your movements for hours. I can't do it."

He suddenly smacked her hand, causing the glass of water to fly from her grasp and crash and spill to the floor. Wilhelmina yelped at his brashness.

Loki ran a hand down his face, exhaling loudly.

"How is it that you are able to control nature, of all things, and fail miserably at a simple transformation? You are incapable of doing even the basics in magic!"

He stilled at the look on her face. Her eyes were downcast and she bit her lower lip pitifully. She was looking at the pieces of glass that littered the marble floor of her master's chamber.

Loki sighed and with a wave of his hand toward the floor and a short incantation, the pieces immediately slid towards each other. In a matter of seconds, the glass was repaired.

He bent to retrieve it and, turning away from her, slammed the glass down on his desk. He placed both hands on the surface, gripping the dark wood in frustration. How was this ever going to work?

She was still staring at his back when she heard his voice.

"I should have left you to play with your flowers."

Now it was Wilhelmina's turn to be angry. Without saying a word, she strode over to the desk and reaching around Loki, took the glass from the desk. She turned quickly and hurled it as hard as she could to the opposite wall, causing an explosion of glass to glisten on the floor.

He was yelling at her again, but Wilhelmina did not respond.

She was whispering to herself. Her eyes were closed tightly, her breathing ragged with anger. It didn't take long before Loki realized she was reciting the same incantation he had used only moments before.

He let her continue.

Slowly, the shards began moving towards one another. It was not a graceful display, but the end result was the chalice returned to its unbroken state.

Wilhelmina picked it up from the floor and placed it back on the desk with a pointed look at Loki.

He found himself smiling despite her obvious show of disrespect.

So this is how she would learn. He could work with that.

Loki's smile became manic as it stretched across his face. His eyes never left hers as he swept his hand over the desk, knocking the glass to the floor yet again.

Wilhelmina leapt back to avoid the flying shards. "Master!"

He flawlessly feigned concern. "Oh, pity. Looks like you'll have to do it again."

Xx

The prince lounged luxuriously at his desk, a quarter through the book he was reading.

The papers had been cleared from the desk to make room for the dozens of glasses of wine that now covered every inch of it. His fun with the glass had the desired effect. Not only had she mended it ten more times, but she was now determined to master the water transformation. He smiled to himself, who knew he could be such a good teacher?

"Try this one." Wilhelmina was thrusting yet another glass of wine in his face. If it were not for his godly status, he was sure he would be feeling the effects of the drink by now. He raised an eyebrow as he looked up at her.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?"

She scoffed at him. "Of course not, I am practicing."

He disregarded her annoyance, his voice like silk as he slowly rose from his desk and stepped closer to her. "My student would take advantage of her prince? Strange, I thought it would be the other way around."

"Is that so? I thought we had an agreement master."

He chuckled. "I am aware. You said you would not come to my bed, though you didn't say anything about my desk…or the floor."

Wilhelmina hated herself for the blush that stained her cheeks. It deepened when he took a strand of her hair between his long fingers.

"Tell me, is your admiration still intact? I would love to show you how to properly worship your god."

Her upper lip actually curled at the man's audacity. She slapped his hand away. "Enough of this. I came to learn from you, not to be harassed."

At first he looked angry. Then his face suddenly brightened as an idea bloomed in his mind.

"Very well, are you ready for your next lesson?"

"Yes."

He gave her an especially mischievous smirk and gestured for her to follow him. They walked over to one of the tall bookshelves. The smile was still there when he turned to face her.

"I have spent centuries adding to my personal library. I have read every book in this room twice over. The process of organizing these tomes would have been beyond tedious if I did not resort to my power, telekinesis to be specific."

Before Wilhelmina could question him, he placed a hand to the side of the shelf and shoved it forward, effortlessly toppling it. An avalanche of books fell to the floor; the thunderous sound vibrating off the walls. Hundreds of books lie piled atop each other and she could only stand there, her eyes wide with shock.

His smile was gone and his voice took on a very serious tone.

"I will not dismiss you until every book is placed back on the shelf, categorically and alphabetically."

She snapped her head towards him, opening her mouth to protest when he cut her off harshly.

"I don't want to hear a single sound pass those lips."

She obediently closed her mouth. He continued with his instructions.

"Like before, I will demonstrate for you, but once you are left with the task you are not to touch any of these books. If you do, I will knock down another shelf. Understood?"

She nodded, trying to hold back her tears.

He smiled at her triumphantly. "Good. Now pay close attention to teacher."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

For weeks, Loki asserted his power by punishing Wilhelmina for every little mistake she made. She was forced to scrub his already clean floors, he toppled many bookshelves, and she even found herself dodging various items that he would throw across the room in frustration.

He worked with her well into the night, until she could barely make it home without passing out. Though when she finally was allowed to sleep, it was always the best she ever had.

Tonight, Wilhelmina found herself running through the gardens toward the castle walls. She was terrified of being late to meet with her master, and she was definitely cutting it close.

She made it to the wall and taking a moment to catch her breath, performed the spell that opened the wall up to the inner halls that led directly to Loki's chamber.

When she finally arrived at his door, she proceeded to reach up and run a hand down the side of it. When she heard the clicking sound she rushed inside heading straight to his desk.

She was greeted with silence. He was not there. After a quick search she found that she was completely alone.

Her concern was growing at a rapid rate when the sound of someone clearing their throat caused her to whirl around. Loki stood looking at her curiously.

She had searched everywhere for him, how had he snuck in?

"Good evening, Wilhelmina."

She smiled, strangely relieved. "Hello master."

She noticed that the curious look never left his face. "Something wrong?"

"What happened to your face?"

Her heart sank. She wished he would have ignored it. It was bad enough that the ugly bruise under her left eye still stung. She had to lie to him.

"I was practicing my telekinesis and a book hit me."

Loki walked to her and placed a hand on her cheek.

His voice was sincere, "Well we must be more careful."

She twisted her head out of his grasp, a shy smile blossoming on her face.

He laughed. "You're lovely when you blush."

She immediately moved to cover her face, but he held her hands.

"Why must you always hide from me?"

She had no answer for him, so instead she would tell another lie.

"I'm not hiding."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"You know, sometimes I think I know you better than you know yourself."

"I highly doubt that."

"Then let me prove it to you."

He let go of her then and took a step backwards.

Wilhelmina watched, her horror building as Loki began to change. She saw his black hair lighten to a soft brown, his green eyes turn blue, his staggering height changing to match hers.

In less than a minute, Wilhelmina was standing face to face with herself. She yelped when he spoke.

"Impressive, I know." It was not Loki's voice, it was hers.

"I had intended for this to be your next lesson, assuming we could begin immediately."

Wilhelmina still stood gawking at her own image.

"But how could you shift into another body when you hardly know your own?"

She found her voice then. "And _you_ know my body?"

The exasperated look on the copy's face was so reminiscent of Loki she almost laughed…at herself. This was making her uncomfortable.

"Obviously; I study you every night. I know you've noticed."

"Yes, I have noticed, but I'd rather speak with my master if that's alright."

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Of course."

Wilhelmina braced herself. The change was just as severe and quick as the first.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she looked back up into the eyes she had grown so accustomed to. He didn't skip a beat.

"There is a large mirror in the bathroom. I want you to stand before it, and study every detail about yourself. Be thorough in your observation…undressing may help.

"Sorry master, but I won't be removing my clothing in your rooms any time soon."

He sighed. "I shall remain hopeful."

Xx

Wilhelmina was not at all surprised to see that the prince's bathroom was as grand as the rest of his rooms. More pillars, more gold.

The mirror was not hard to spot as it stood in the middle of the far wall. It was a very tall mirror, reminding her of Loki's height. Standing before it, she took a deep breath and looked at herself.

She studied her arms, her legs, her chest, her stomach.

She always felt she was bigger than other young women, but in truth, she had a curvy figure that many would do anything for. She tried to imagine herself nude, idly wondering what it would be like to have Loki's body.

Then her eyes travelled to her face and to the bruise on her cheek bone. Her eyes watered as she lifted her hand to her face.

It had been so long since her father last struck her.

He had been awake when she snuck back in her home the previous night. She could smell the mead on his breath as he griped her shoulders painfully, demanding she tell him where she had been. When she did not answer him right away, he backhanded her and shoved her to the floor.

She had been treading lightly around the man since she was a girl. He would hit her whenever he drank too much, whenever she dirtied her clothes, or disobeyed her tutors.

She remembered how she had laid on the floor last night, shaking with fear. It was the fear she had felt for years and being so helpless made her sick to her stomach.

He had warned her that if he caught her out of house again, she would suffer more than one blow. Then he left her.

Wilhelmina was lost in haze of sadness, so much so that she did not notice her reflection begin to move. The mirror bent in waves, shaking, threatening to burst.

Xx

Loki looked up from his desk at the rattling sound. He called out to her several times, but when he heard no answer, he rose from his desk to check on her.

Opening the door slowly, his mouth hung open at the display.

Wilhelmina stood at the mirror with her fingers tangled in her hair, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes never left her reflection. He was snapped out of his stunned silence when a long, jagged crack ripped down the center of the glass. Any second it was going to explode.

"Wilhelmina, move!" he yelled out to her just as the mirror shattered. Thousands of pieces flew at her. She felt cuts forming on her face, and her arms. Excruciating pain radiated from her leg causing her to collapse.

Loki ran over to her as she laid whimpering on the floor and clutching her leg. He kneeled down next to her. Blood was seeping through her gown and dripping to the floor, where a small puddle was forming.

She looked at him, and when he saw the pain in her face he immediately jumped into action. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the tub, setting her down on the edge carefully.

She was openly crying now.

Slowly Loki lifted the hem of her dress to just above her knee. Her winced as he took in the long gash that continued to bleed on her calf.

"I-I'm sorry master, I don't know what happened."

He looked into her eyes as he pressed his hand to her leg, sending waves of his magic through her.

Wilhelmina exhaled as he numbed her pain, comfortable warmth enveloping her skin.

She did not see where the wrappings came from, but she did see how Loki set to her leg, completely focused until he finished wrapping the wound.

Still kneeling, his eyes met hers again.

She was no longer crying but her face was still wet with tears. Loki reached up and placed his hand to the side of her face. He wiped her tears away with his thumb, brushing against her lips in the process.

"Better?" She didn't respond, but leaned forward and pressed her face into his neck, wrapping her arms around him. Loki slowly returned the hug.

He closed his eyes as he felt her essence wash over him again. It had tripled in strength since he began teaching her. It meshed with his own in a way that made him feel like he was vibrating from her touch.

He suddenly realized that he was resting between her legs. He felt the heave of her chest against his, her warm breath spreading over his skin as she sighed.

For a moment, he was completely still, but there was an ache in him that would not be ignored.

Loki couldn't help himself; he tilted his head to kiss her jaw.

He expected her to push him away, but was overjoyed to feel her arms tighten around him. He continued to trail kisses from her jaw down to her collarbone. Wilhelmina leaned her head back to give him better access to her now crimson skin.

The arms around her suddenly constricted, and as she found herself pressed flush against the prince who was making a feast of her neck. Her breath was coming out in ragged gasps, the dull pain in her leg long forgotten.

His moan against her skin caused a shiver to run from the base of her neck and to the apex between her legs, the same legs that housed Loki so perfectly.

Quite un-expectantly, realization dawned on her and she quickly pulled away from him.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this." She stood hurriedly, groaning at the pain and limped away.

Loki got up to silently follow her. She would not look at him.

"Thank you for helping me." She left him at the bathroom doorway as she rushed out of his chamber.

As soon as the door shut behind her, Loki leaned against the doorframe, running a hand through his hair, and quietly laughing to himself. What was _that_?

The hardness in his trousers told him exactly what it was, and that he wanted more of it.

No more games, he thought. She would be his.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Wilhelmina limped as fast as she could down the castle halls and through the garden. By the time she made it back to her home, she was exhausted.

The cuts on her arms and neck were already starting to heal, but the gash on her leg throbbed with pain.

She carefully sat herself down in front of her vanity and let her head fall into her arms. She was trying not to think about what had just happened.

Oh gods, he smelled amazing. She bit her lip as she remembered how cool his lips were against her flushed skin. He had practiced gentleness with her that she did not know he possessed. She was utterly embarrassed to admit that she wanted his hands on her again.

She shook her head. No, she would resist him. She had already come so far without compromising herself. She could not give in now.

The next morning she was horrified to discover small red marks on her neck. Her master had marked his territory plainly enough for the entire realm to see. It was wildly inappropriate, and she tried to swallow the pride that was building up inside her.

Xx

Loki was unenthusiastically heading towards the training fields for a sparring session with Thor. The man had been insisting on it for quite some time, and Loki feared that his brother would attack him randomly if he did not spar with him soon.

The sound of quickly approaching steps alerted him, but the voice halted his steps.

"Prince Loki!" He turned to see a guard walking up to him, a scroll in his hands.

"What is it?"

When the guard approached him, he bowed, extending the hand that held the scroll towards the prince. "The Allfather has requested your presence at a celebration this evening."

Loki sighed before taking the scroll. He opened it and read the words over quickly, his irritation growing.

"No." He shoved the scroll into the guard's chest. "I don't have time for that. Tell my father that I am booked for this evening."

The guard spoke cautiously. "He knew you would say that and he wanted me to tell you that this is a command and that either you show up or you will spend the night in the dark forest."

Loki paled slightly.

"Very well, tell my father I will make an appearance."

"Yes, your highness." He continued to stand before the royal son.

"Leave." The man scuttled away and Loki resumed his march towards the field.

This was an unfortunate turn of events. His plans for Wilhelmina would have to wait.

He could see his brother, Sif, and the warriors three in the distance as a new plan sprung up in his mind. Though it was not a plan he liked.

Xx

The knock that came at the door was so loud that Wilhelmina ran to the door to answer it. Much to her surprise, there was a rather uncomfortable looking royal guard holding a golden box.

"Is the Lady Wilhelmina present?"

"I am she."

The guard bowed his head and extended the box to her.

"His majesty sends his regards."

He didn't have to specify for Wilhelmina to know who had sent the box. Curiosity boiling over, she snatched the box with a quick thank you and ran to her chambers before her mother could ask any questions.

She had secured her door and rushed to her window ledge to open the box.

It was not small, but not heavy either. She shook the box to test it but heard nothing sliding around. She chewed on her lip as she stared at it. It was the first possible gift he had ever given her. It was strange; the prince didn't seem like the gift giving type.

She slowly pulled at the green satin ribbon tied around the box till it fell open. Her eyes became the size of saucers as she pulled out the neatly folded dress. She stood and shook the dress loose to see it fully. It was a soft green color and more beautiful than any of the gowns she currently owned. It was long and made of an almost sheer material with sleeves that would hang from the shoulders. The neckline was a bit low for her liking, but the solitary emerald jewel that hung from the collar was incredible. Wilhelmina was so mesmerized by the gift that she almost forgot about the small note that had been lying on top of it.

Setting the dress down carefully on her bed, she flipped the note open. She smiled to herself as she read the note; she could almost hear Loki saying the neatly written words:

_I expect you to be wearing this dress when you arrive at my chambers tonight at our usual time. Do not be late._

Xx

Loki couldn't believe the nerve of the girl. She was late, and after he specifically told her not to be. He was beginning to wonder if bringing her along was a good idea when he heard the tell-tale sounds of someone working the magic on his chamber door.

When she burst into the room, she immediately ran over to him and bowed deeply. She had already begun her frantic excuses.

"A thousand apologies master for my lateness, but I couldn't get away from my mother! It was difficult to explain my attire and –"

"Enough." She immediately silenced herself.

Without warning, Loki kneeled down in front of her and lifted her dress.

"You have healed." He let his hand run from her knee to her ankle and back up, causing Wilhelmina to shiver at the contact.

He stood. "We must hurry, or else we will be later than we already are."

Wilhelmina gave him a curious look. "Where are we going?"

He gave her a weary look. "I will explain on the way."

Xx

They had walked for five minutes down a series of abandoned halls before he finally spoke. Before then, he had been stealing glances at her. It was a shame the halls were lit so dimly that he couldn't see her properly. What he could make out, he was impressed with. In fact, he couldn't stop looking at her.

The dress really did suit her. It fell about her body loosely and the contrast of the green against her sun-kissed skin was striking. Her brown hair fell carefree around her shoulders. Even in his peripheral vision, she was stunning. Her face however, was the picture of trepidation.

He cleared his throat. "My father has summoned me to a celebration." The look on Wilhelmina's face worsened.

"He has yet to say what we are celebrating; though I am sure he will make an announcement once everyone has arrived."

Wilhelmina had begun fumbling with her hands. She spoke quietly. "Everyone?"

"There will be a few people from court present, the advisors, and the royal family of course….."

She slowed to a stop, her heart now hammering painfully in her chest.

Loki turned when he realized he was walking alone. "What's wrong?"

"I…"

Loki sighed loudly. "We have no time for this. Come now."

Wilhelmina looked up at him. Her apprehension was quickly turning into desperation.

"I can't go in there! I've never been to court. I've never been to any royal celebration. And your family…."

He stepped closer to her and lowered his voice as he spoke. "Believe me when I say that, if my father hadn't demanded my attendance, we would still be in my chambers."

She could hear the smile in his voice. "I would much rather spend an evening with you than the court jesters."

Wilhelmina looked up at him. Loki gave her a small smile and held out his arm. "I will keep you by my side the entire time."

She believed him, and returned his smile before slipping her arm around his.

When they finally reached the huge doors of the banquet hall, Loki gave her a pointed look before gesturing to the guards to open the doors. She tightened her grip on the prince's arm as they entered the room.

She had no idea there were so many people in court. "A few people"…please. The room was swimming with people; all dressed in elegant outfits, sipping wine and picking from the many plates of food placed around the room. She could hear the sound of music being played closer to the raised platform where she could clearly make out the royal family. Odin was perched at the center of a long table that faced the crowd. The queen, as graceful as ever, sat at his left and the mighty Thor lounged leisurely at his father's right. There was a mountain of a man with waves of red hair leaning against the table to talk with the prince. He carried a plate piled incredibly high with food. An empty chair rested at Thor's right.

Wilhelmina's eyes went everywhere in the short time they lingered by the door. As soon as Loki moved them through the crowd toward the platform, she could feel eyes on her. She forced herself to look into the faces of the party guests. The looks they gave her ranged from curiosity to immediate distrust. The looks given to Loki (though many ignored him completely) were much worse. They shied away from him, sneered at him, turned up their noses.

From what she could gather from the whispers, most were surprised he had even bothered to show up to the party at all, and with a woman no less.

She wanted to sink into the floor and disappear. Instead, she moved closer to her master who never once faltered in his regal stance. She knew he noticed the stares and heard the whispers, but he wouldn't let them know it. She was comforted by his confidence.

Wilhelmina must have been holding her breath for a long time, because when they finally made it out of the crowd and in front of the platform, she exhaled loudly, causing Loki to smile down at her.

"I'm afraid I shall torture you further: I must introduce you to my parents."

She had expected this of course. She took a deep breath and nodded her head.

Loki walked them right up the platform edge where Odin and Frigga were already looking down at their son and his escort.

"Father, mother." he greeted the king and queen with a shallow bow of his head.

"You are late son. I was afraid you would miss the party." It was Frigga that spoke, but her eyes had yet to leave the woman at her son's side.

"The lady Wilhelmina and I were held up. But we would not miss the festivities."

"Lady Wilhelmina?" the queen wasn't trying to hide the smile that spread across her face.

Loki tugged at her arm after she remained silent for too long.

She bowed awkwardly. "Ye-yes your highness."

"You must forgive my surprise. It has been many centuries since our son has brought a woman with him to any gathering. I am pleased you were both able to make it."

"It is my pleasure your grace, thank you."

She could feel Loki tense at his mother's words. When she looked at him, she almost laughed at the slight blush that graced his features.

Odin had remained silent throughout the entire conversation, and Thor and the giant man had been watching the two intensely.

Suddenly, Thor turned in his chair to speak to one of the many guards standing behind the royal family.

"You there, bring an extra chair to place beside my brother's!"

Frigga smiled at her eldest. "A good idea Thor; come sit you two."

Loki immediately steered Wilhelmina towards his usual seat.

She finally released a small laugh and turned to her master. "You are lovely when you blush."

He hissed at her, "Silence", but she could see the slight upturn of his lips. He took her hand to guide her up the side of the stage.

Thor and Frigga were beside themselves when they saw Loki pull out the chair the guard provided to allow the woman to sit. When the prince was finally seated, Thor clapped a massive hand on his brother's shoulder, causing the younger man to wince.

The amount of people that were now staring at the couple was steadily growing. Here was their dark prince with a very young woman seated at the royal table. Wilhelmina was quickly becoming the talk of the entire party.

She was an immediate sensation.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Wilhelmina had sat through plates of food, numerous glasses of wine, and overheard many conversations between Thor and Loki regarding weaponry. She found herself smiling over the edge of her wine glass at how easy conversation came between the two brothers. She knew Loki enough to know that he didn't give a damn about battle gear, but tolerated his brother all the same.

She also enjoyed looking out into the crowd as the wine continued to flow freely amongst the guests. She felt a jolt of surprise when Loki finally turned his attention to her by leaning to whisper in her ear.

"Are you ready for your next lesson?"

She couldn't help but look up at him, curious as to how he could possibly teach her anything here. But the look on his face was awash with a glow she had only seen once before as she spied on him from the cover of trees. He was so close to her and she could feel his breath on her cheek. She smiled and nodded.

"Do you see the fat man in the purple coat? He stands beneath the tapestries."

Wilhelmina turned her head slightly till she spotted Lord Val in the offending outfit. He had a small group surrounding him, all very intensely looking at him as he apparently told them a riveting tale. What was bothersome to her was that he held a large hunk of meat in his hands that he would take to chewing as he spoke.

"I see him."

Loki's voice darkened. "His name is Val. He has spent decades spreading his slander against me. Particularly, he believes I may be compensating for more than one thing with my magic."

She wasn't sure of his meaning until Loki gave her a look that erased any doubt. She immediately blushed crimson.

"That's terrible."

"Monstrous and, if I might add, completely false. That is why he is the subject of tonight's lesson."

"What are you going to do to him?" Wilhelmina said. Of course she remembered witnessing Loki playing tricks on Lord Val before, but what a difference there was now; instead of spying on the prince, she was joining him in his mischief.

Loki simply said "Watch." as he seemed to keep his gaze trained above the man. She watched him with increasing anticipation when suddenly the tapestry Val stood beneath disconnected from its harness, landing on him heavily. He immediately fell to the floor with a crash and many of the servants rushed to lift the tapestry from him.

Wilhelmina slapped a hand over her mouth, but she couldn't keep herself from shaking slightly with laughter. Loki, who usually took great pleasure in punishing the lord, found himself grinning wickedly when he saw that his little student enjoyed his antics as well. He waited till she finally composed herself to speak.

"Your turn."

She looked at him wide-eyed. "Lord Val will certainly know he is being targeted if his misfortune continues."

"Then choose another."

She searched the crowd, her eyes eventually locking on a woman wearing a ridiculous dress with countless flowers protruding from it. She remembered the look of disgust that particular woman had given Loki when they arrived in the hall. Wilhelmina decided she would be her target.

"The woman with the hideous flower dress."

Loki smirked after spotting the woman. "What is your obsession with flowers? It is a fine choice though, proceed."

Wilhelmina bit her lip and looked all around the woman for something to use but her eyes kept returning to the dress. She knew what to do.

She focused all her energy on the dress. When she felt she was ready she recited one of the many incantations her master had taught her. She fought to maintain her concentration when the flowers on the dress slowly started to spin. The spinning increased until the woman noticed and screamed, ripping the flowers from her dress and throwing them to the ground. No one in the crowd had seen the flowers spin and were now looking at the flustered woman with no small amount of concern.

Wilhelmina's concentration broke when she saw Loki tilt his head back and laugh. His smile had always been contagious so she was not surprised to find herself laughing along with him.

Neither one of them noticed the shocked reaction of Thor, the queen, and even Odin. Seeing their Loki look so happy was a rare occurrence indeed.

Xx

Loki and Wilhelmina had been thoroughly discussing incantation variations when Odin stood from his chair. Silence immediately fell over the entire hall and all eyes were on their king. All at once, the guests kneeled before Odin as he surveyed the crowd. He waited till they had risen to finally speak for the first time that night. Wilhelmina was impressed with the amount of authority and power that was held in the calm voice of Odin.

"_Lords and Ladies of the realm, I have spent more than a millennia watching over my sons, teaching them the ways of the mighty, with the hope that they will be ready when the time came for them to turn their eyes from their studies, and to the business of the realm. I believe the time has finally come." _

It seemed as though all who heard the words of Odin held a collective breath, waiting for him to continue.

"_As many warriors have done, so will I one day retire to wander the halls of Valhalla, leaving my heir to watch over and lead the nine realms as their king." _

Both Wilhelmina and Loki noticed Thor straighten in his chair. He was as stiff as a board.

"_My eldest, my heir, Thor Odinson, shall receive such an honor and take his rightful place as king of the realm eternal, in a coronation that will conclude his journey to manhood!"_

Thor stood to his feet with such quick force that his chair flew backwards, barely giving the guards enough time to dodge it. Odin took little notice of his reaction.

"_Celebrate, honored guests, for the day shall come soon. In 6 months time, I shall hand Gungnir (he raised his staff high above his head) to Thor!" _

There was a deafening roar from the crowd that seemed to vibrate the very walls of the hall. Thor held up both his fists in victory as he leapt from the platform and strutted into the surging crowd who were rushing to deliver their congratulations to their future king. He looked absolutely radiant.

Loki, however, had yet to move a muscle. He knew Wilhelmina was smiling and clapping along with everyone else, including his mother. He felt as though he were made of stone.

As Wilhelmina continued to watch the gallivanting Thor, she felt Loki grab her upper arm painfully and drag her to her feet, causing her wine glass to tip over and spill onto the table. Before she could utter a word, she was being pulled down the platform and through a side door that she hadn't noticed was there.

He was facing away from her, but she knew that he was angry, perhaps furiously so. The longer he dragged her along in utter silence, the more fear started to bubble within her. She tried to yank her arm away from him.

"Master, please! What is wrong?"

He turned his head slightly to shush her harshly before they rounded a corner. He whirled around to face her then, and even in the dim light she was able to make out the anger in his face. Though he was clearly upset, he spoke softly to her.

"I must leave the castle. You may come with me or I can leave you here."

She did not hesitate. "I will come with you, master."

He immediately wrapped his arms around her.

"Close your eyes, deep breath."

Wilhelmina obeyed and as soon as she took that breath her world went dark and she felt like her stomach had dropped to her feet. It happened so quickly, yet so violently, that when she felt the cool air of the outside whip around her, it did little to ease the nausea that overcame her. Her knees gave out but thankfully she was held up by Loki.

Before her blurred vision could correct itself, her senses picked up the scent of the ocean and a slight thrumming under her feet. As her world came into focus she gasped to discover that she stood on the bridge that led to the bifrost. Loki had teleported them miles away from the castle and to the very edge of Asgard in seconds. Her prince was unbelievable.

When Loki was sure she was stable, he released her and walked a few yards away. He stood looking over the side of the bridge. His fists were balled at his side. He was almost snarling.

Wilhelmina was still taking time to process what had happened when her eyes took in Loki's rigid form.

He spoke just above a whisper. "Damned fool. Of his two sons, he chooses the moron."

He faced her, voice rising to almost a yell. "Thor cares for nothing outside of fighting and women! He may be my elder brother, but he still acts just as he did when we were boys! Asgard will fall to ruin under his reign!"

Wilhelmina had never seen him so furious...and hurt. She walked to stand beside him and held her breath as she placed a hand on his fist. Slowly his hand wrapped around hers, fingers interlocking.

They stood in silence; both looking at the horizon where the sea ended and the galaxy began. Many minutes passed before, still holding his hand, Wilhelmina moved to stand in front of him. He would not look at her.

"What I confessed to you a month ago is still true now: I admire you. And I think your brother admires you as well."

He looked down, locking his eyes with hers.

"I have heard the way he speaks to you. He holds you in high regard, perhaps even more than I do."

He scoffed at her, but she tightened her grip on his hand.

"Though it is Thor who will be king, you will be the man he relies on to help him lead."

"You truly believe that?" He looked almost hopeful.

She smiled at him. "I would not speak it if I did not believe it to be true. I thought I was alone in my reverence of you, but it seems that I have some competition."

He blinked at her. He was actually speechless.

"And yes, your father is a fool."

He stared at her with an intensity that should have crushed her. But she held his gaze, her heart crashing against her chest.

When his lips met hers in a warm, lingering kiss, she felt like her heart stopped altogether.

He pulled away for a second to gauge her reaction, and when he saw that her face held surprise rather than anger, he kissed her again.

Xx

At the very end of the bridge, the all-seeing Heimdall tore his gaze from the universe and to the passionate couple. I tiny but rare smile formed on his lips before he resumed his duties.

Xx

Loki deepened the kiss once he felt her hands reach up to grip his shoulders. He moved one hand to tangle in her hair while his other arm wrapped around her waist to pull her in closer.

After what seemed like an eternity, they pulled away from each other, panting slightly.

"Master…" she began breathlessly, but he cut her off.

"You don't have to call me that. Call me Loki."

She flashed him a shy grin before nodding her head.

"Thank you, Wilhelmina."

"Call me Mina...please."

He finally smiled.

"May I escort you home, Mina?"

"Yes, but perhaps we should wal-"

They were gone from the rainbow bridge in a flicker of light.

A/N: Hey there! I want to warn you guys that there will be sexual content from this point on. Also, I'm a whore for reviews. Don't be shy.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: This chapter contains mature content. **

Chapter 9:

The note he left her the next day was a short one:

_I will be away for a few days. Thor wants to celebrate. Be good. _

Wilhelmina pressed the note to her lips. Poor Loki.

Xx

They had spent a day travelling through the forest before they arrived at a seedy pub that was known for the strength of its drinks and the lewd women that crowded it.

Several times Loki found himself close to leaving the rowdy group and heading home, but Thor's welcoming smile always stopped him.

They entered the pub loudly, causing everyone to stop what they were doing. When the host saw the princes and their friends he immediately made room for them at his best table. The mead never stopped flowing.

They had been there for hours comparing scars, and discussing past battles and romantic liaisons. It was when they reached this topic that Thor suddenly turned to his younger sibling, who had been listening attentively, but remained relatively quiet.

"Brother, tell them about the woman who escorted you to the party!"

Volstagg tore himself from his food to yell down the table. "I saw the woman! And if you do not mind me saying Loki, she is very beautiful."

No one heard Loki say "Yes, I mind." under his breath.

Thor spoke again. "Indeed she is. Her name is Wilhelmina if I remember right. What is your relationship with her Loki? Will you see her again?"

The prince almost growled at him; he did not like the sound of her name on his tongue.

"It is none of your business Thor."

His brother looked put off before he quickly rose from the table and walked over to the bar. Everyone watched him in curious silence until he returned to the table with a bucket filled almost to the brim with mead.

He slammed it down in front of Loki.

"Here: either you reveal details of who your woman is, or you drink this bucket of mead."

His mouth hung open in angry shock.

"Are you serious!?"

"Deathly brother. Who is lady Wilhelmina?"

Loki gave him his most lethal glare. "I hate you."

Thor smiled widely. "Very well, drink Loki!"

The warriors three and even Sif were now cheering him on.

The look hadn't left his face as he continued to stare daggers at his brother, but he could see no other option. There was no way he was going to kiss and tell like some mouthy woman.

He actually growled at Thor this time before taking the bucket into both hands and lifted it to his mouth. He drank furiously with the mead spilling down his chin until he slammed the empty bucket back down on the table with a loud gasp.

There was a ruckus of banging noises as the group hammered their mugs on the table.

Loki spoke over the noise, a smug grin spread on his face.

"It's harder than it looks."

Xx

Wilhelmina used her magic to double secure her bedroom door before gingerly setting herself down on her bed. She brought one hand to her stomach, a frown on her face. She wished she had Loki to numb the pain.

Her father was a tyrant. She did not know what it was about her that made him so angry. The brave face she always had with Loki failed her whenever her father raised his hand to hit her.

Holding back tears, she gently laid on her bed to sleep.

Xx

Loki lay in a bed that was not his own. The group had said their goodnights and headed up to the upper rooms in the pub, each taking someone into the rooms with them, Fandral taking two. Loki had received plenty offers, but he turned them all down.

He was quickly beginning to regret his decision.

The lustful noises coming through the paper thin walls curled his stomach. He would never be able to sleep like this.

His thoughts wandered to Wilhelmina...to Mina.

Things would certainly be different between them now. He sighed when he thought of how awkward she would be with him once he returned. She might even ask him about his intentions for her.

As the sounds around him intensified he was overcome with a need of his own.

Maybe he should show her exactly what he had in mind.

Xx

She had been close to falling asleep when she felt her bed shift. She turned over quickly and squeaked when her eyes fell on a grinning Loki.

She whispered at him urgently. "What are you doing here?!"

The grin was gone and Wilhelmina saw a look in his eyes that instantly made her nervous.

He leaned into her. "I wanted to see you Mina." He whispered into her ear, making her shiver.

"But your brother?"

"No one knows I'm here."

He did not wait for her consent before he pulled down a strap on her thin chemise, exposing a pale shoulder. He brought his lips to her skin and kissed it gently. He did the same to the other side.

Wilhelmina's eyes fluttered shut when she caught his scent. Trees.

He pulled the top of her gown down, exposing her breasts.

When his warm mouth covered one of her nipples she whimpered. He ran the flat of his tongue over her flesh. Wilhelmina reached to put her hands in his hair as his mouth caressed her breast while fondling the other, eventually switching sides.

She could hear his breathing quicken and could feel the heat building between them.

Her eyes flew open when she felt his hand travel up her thigh.

She tensed as soon as he lifted her chemise, but she did nothing to resist him. She would not lie to herself anymore: she wanted this. She had wanted him ever since he held her in his bathroom.

Loki paused when he saw the bruise on her stomach. He had seen bruises like this on other parts of her body. He would have to ask her about this at a more appropriate time.

He pushed the thought aside as his hand continued its journey until his long fingers cupped her sex, causing her to gasp. He could feel her wetness.

Loki bent down to slowly remove her undergarments. As soon as he tossed them aside he delved a finger into her womanhood. He explored her cunt, surprised at how wet she was.

When he flicked the hard nub of her clit with his practiced thumb, she gave him a gorgeous moan that horrified her and nearly caused him to come in his trousers.

She had never uttered such a sinful sound.

His fingers continued their work while he quickly placed his hand above her headboard and pressed on the wall. He sent a wave of magic through it, sound-proofing the room.

There was a tension that was building inside of her that she had never felt before. It began in the pit of her stomach and traveled lower to blossom underneath Loki's relentless fingers. Her peak arrived without warning and her head snapped back into her pillow as she cried out.

While she was experiencing the rapture of her first orgasm Loki had quickly removed his hand and the upper part of his clothing before loosening the ties of his trousers to release his throbbing length. Wilhelmina was still in a haze as he settled himself between her quivering thighs.

She realized what he was about to do, and though she was excited, she was also terrified.

Loki touched his lips to hers firmly as he sheathed himself inside her heat. She turned her head away from him and bit her lip hard, a stifled scream ripping from her throat. Her cries were almost drowned out by Loki's moans.

She was so damn tight. He didn't have to move inside her to almost reach his end. He knew he would have to be gentle with her but was having a hard time controlling himself.

Wilhelmina was truly shaking now as she tried to grow accustomed to the length that filled her so completely. She didn't think she was ready when he suddenly pulled himself from her slightly to enter her once again with a force that caused them both to exchange lascivious noises that reached every corner of the room.

He could wait no longer.

Loki began moving within her in earnest, the bed beneath them creaking in protest. Wilhelmina's moans of pleasure and pain were beginning to be too much for him as he trained his eyes on her swaying breasts.

"Oh gods Loki...". Hearing his name was enough to send him over the edge; he thrust into her with renewed strength until he spilled into her in a blessed release.

When he stilled Wilhelmina finally opened her eyes to look at him. His mouth was slack and his eyes were closed tightly. The look was so different from the indifference or anger he usually held in his features. His face had softened and seeing him that way only brought her more pleasure. She leaned her head forward to kiss his chin, then each cheekbone, each eyelid, before Loki collapsed beside her with a satisfied sigh.

Xx

By morning she was alone again and wondering if her prince's visit had been a dream. She smiled when she got her confirmation as she sat up and felt a painful soreness between her legs.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: This chapter contains mature content.**

Chapter 10:

Loki continued to visit Wilhelmina every night he was away, and she knew never to lift the magic that sound-proofed her room. After that first night, she was able to take care of herself and heal during the day, but the sting returned as soon as Loki was inside her again. She did not complain, for she loved every second of it.

She waited in restless anticipation for her prince's arrival, though she wished that when he undressed her, she could return the favor. The lights were always out and he never took the time to completely remove his own clothing. It was always Wilhelmina that was left bared before him.

Though seeing his reaction to her body and knowing how she affected him had given her a strange courage.

As she lay in bed she wondered, how far was she willing to go for him?

Xx

It had taken Loki an infuriating amount of time to drag his drunken brother to bed, but as soon as he shut the door behind him, he teleported to Wilhelmina's chambers.

This time, what greeted Loki was truly remarkable, and he nearly gasped at the sight.

There, lying in her bed was his Mina with her hands between her thighs. The lights were still on, so he was able to see her clearly, though it was from a side angle. He quickly strode over to the foot of the bed, where he could visibly see her sex and the fingers that invaded it. She was looking at him down the slope of her nose with an intense stare, her fingers never ceasing in their ministrations.

His voice was strained but amused when he spoke to her.

"Having fun?"

Hearing his voice egged her on, her hands quickening and causing her to tilt her head back.

She managed to moan out a lustful "Yes".

Loki's eyes greedily took in the wetness she was bringing forth from her own hands, with her soft moans cutting through the tense silence between them.

He was panting, his need boiling over.

Never taking his eyes off her, he slowly loosened his trouser and, taking hold of his length, began stroking it in time with Wilhelmina's own self-pleasuring.

When she moved her eyes back to Loki and saw that he was touching himself as well, she bit her lip and blushed. This was incredibly naughty, and she felt like a goddess with how her actions aroused him.

They both began moaning and quickening their movements until she was begging for him.

He thought the look of desperate innocence on her face was miraculous to behold. She was a glorious woman. And she was his.

Loki made a move towards the bed but Wilhelmina stopped him by placing a foot on his heaving chest.

"What?" she almost laughed at the hint of whining in his voice. He was so impatient.

"Take off all of your clothes. I want you bare."

His smile was wicked. "Yes mistress."

That caused her to blush furiously and Loki to laugh heartily.

With as much control as he could muster, he slowly removed every article of clothing before moving towards the bed once again.

As soon as the last of his clothes hit the floor, her hands stopped and her mouth hung open. She had never seen him in this light. Her hands had explored him many times in the dark, but now it was time for her eyes to take him in.

He was tone and lean, his skin pale and smooth. She grinned at the line of dark hair that ran from his navel to his now throbbing member. Her mouth watered as she saw how the light captured the arousal that slid from the tip of his penis and down his shaft.

Loki felt a swell in his ego when he caught Wilhelmina ogling him. He was draping himself over her when he stopped short. He smiled at her before looking down to her glistening sex.

Bending at the knee he bought his mouth to her cunt and ran his tongue over her flesh, flicking over her clit. Wilhelmina gasped in shock and reached for him, but one lick was all he gave her before he replaced his tongue with his cock.

Loki always reveled in being inside of her, but after her little show, he wanted more.

"Lift your hips." She obeyed, her eyes rolling back as his thrusts deepened. She had brought herself so close to completion with her own hands that it didn't take Loki long to finish her off.

Wilhelmina arched her back as she rode out an intense orgasm, but Loki never stopped moving, if anything, watching her come only pushed him further as he swiftly brought both her thighs up to rest on his shoulders. He slammed into her with bone crushing force.

This was something he had never done with her and the depth caused her walls to pulse around him again and again.

He lost control when he felt her second orgasm wrap around his aching cock. His hands gripped her hips painfully. "Fuck" he moaned out shakily as he exploded inside her.

He let her legs fall to the side as he collapsed with his full weight atop her. Wilhelmina wrapped her arms around him.

He spoke after a few breathless minutes. "I think we shall be returning to the castle tomorrow." He said from in-between her breasts.

She pressed her cheek to the side of his head. "Good, I've missed you."

Xx

Things had returned to normal once Loki finally returned home. The lessons continued, as well as the punishments, though they came in a different form now. Her mistakes earned her spankings and rough lovemaking. If he was truly frustrated, he would knock over a bookshelf, though she had mastered her telekinesis. He would yell at her and she would yell back. There was laughter and teasing along with the cold stares and arguments. And of course, there were the times when Wilhelmina found herself writhing underneath her prince while shamelessly screaming her ecstasy to his bedroom ceiling.

Being so close to someone she idolized was amazing. Within another month she grew to care for him, but it scared her. There were still the remaining years over their heads. What would happen when five years were up?

Xx

Loki teleported from his chambers to Wilhelmina's. She had begged him to pick her up from her home at night rather than have her walk the streets of Asgard alone. She really didn't have to beg him but he liked the look on her face when she pleaded with him.

When he would appear in her room, she was ready for him and would run to him and throw her arms around his neck. She would kiss him sweetly and wrapping his arms around her waist, they would be off.

He expected the same welcome on this night but instead he was greeted with her back.

Wilhelmina sat on her bed, shaking, sobbing.

He immediately went to her. "Mina what's wrong?"

When he saw her face, he felt like his very blood boiled from the anger that rose within him.

There was a bruise that covered her right eye and her lower lip bled from the cut it had. As she moved to cover her face he also saw that she had bruises on her wrists.

No book could have done that.

A now blinding, raging fury swept over him. He looked down at her.

"Who?"

She shook her head.

He kneeled before her and cupped her chin in his hand. "Tell me what happened."

She would not speak. He rose to his feet and his voice was cold. "If you do not reveal your attacker I will torture every man in this realm until you do."

Her head shot up. "No Loki!"

"THEN WHO DID THIS?!"

Her shaking intensified. "Lord Eckhardt!"

He paused. "Your father?"

"Yes."

His face twisted in anger and horror. "He is the reason for all the cuts and bruises, not magic."

"Yes."

"Stand up." She obeyed. Without a word he scoped her up in his arms and took her to his chambers.

He carried her over to his bed and cleaned the blood from her face before tucking her in. He lay beside her and though he did not hold her, he remained close. All the while, his rage continued to wash over him in heated waves.

It took an hour before her tears stopped and her breathing relaxed, he leaned over her shoulder to check on her: she was asleep.

Loki carefully rose from his bed. He grabbed one of his throwing knives before silently returning to his lover's home.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Mature content contained in this chapter.**

Chapter 11:

Loki arrived at Wilhelmina's chambers, but not as himself.

He shape-shifted to resemble his woman, right down to the clothes she was currently wearing, but minus the injuries to her face. The knife was still clutched in his hand as he made his way out of her room and down the stairs.

He had never been outside her bedroom. Actually, he had never really been in any home other than his own. Because of this, he was less than impressed with the common décor of his lover's residence. Though he found himself pleased to find some of her things he recognized lying around.

He finally found the man sitting in a large chair at the front of the house. He lounged lazily before a fire with a glass of mead in his hand.

Loki wanted to pounce, but thought better of it. He took a deep breath before clearing his throat.

Eckhardt turned slightly in his chair and when he saw his daughter, he immediately became hostile.

"Haven't had enough yet have you?" his voice was slurred.

Loki remained silent but his heart sank when he saw the man's face. Mina had her father's blue eyes.

Eckhardt slammed his glass down on a table and rose to his feet. Loki noticed how he clutched the back of the chair to steady himself.

He walked over while rolling up his sleeves.

"You're a stubborn, stupid girl Wilhelmina and I think I'll enjoy bringing you down a peg this time."

The prince stood his ground. He was curious to see what this bastard would dare to do.

Eckhardt gripped the back of what he thought was his daughter's neck and shoved her onto a nearby chair.

His anger rising, Loki watched as the man removed his belt and wrapped it around his hand. The buckle dangled menacingly before him.

"It's like I've always told you my love: children deserve to be punished for disobedience."

He could take no more of this.

Loki suddenly lunged for the man, placing a hand on his face and pushing him backwards against a wall. His hand was around his neck before he could make a sound, the knife pressed to his gut painfully.

Eckhardt was speechless. Wilhelmina had never fought back before.

Loki tightened his grip on the man and slid him up the wall, lifting him off his feet.

Now he was terrified; this could not possibly be his daughter. She would never have the strength to do this to him.

"Who are you?" he managed to croak out.

She smiled at him sweetly, but he could still see the malice behind the feigned innocence.

"You do not recognize me father? Perhaps this will help." Loki shifted Wilhelmina's face till it was the battered face she currently had, with a few added gashes for effect.

Eckhardt's heart felt like it would explode with the amount of terror that now took hold of it. "What is this sorcery?! What have you done with my daughter?"

"You do not deserve to be her father you worthless drunkard!"

Loki used the knife to cut into the flesh of the man's neck. He pushed the knife in just enough to draw blood that ran down to stain his collar in a thick line.

"Please…I beg you...spare me!"

"Did _she_ beg you, did she beg you to stop?!"

He did not respond, but trembled violently.

Loki finally let go of the magic that kept his true self concealed. Now it was large, strong hands that held the man to the wall.

Looking down into the prince's face, Eckhardt didn't think it were possible for him to be more petrified than he was now.

Loki's voice was pure venom. "If you touch her, if you so much as utter a harsh word toward Wilhelmina again, I will cut off your hands before slitting your throat, do you understand me?!"

He nodded his head furiously. "Yes, your highness!"

Oh, Loki desperately wanted to kill him, but only said "Good" before letting the drunk fall to the floor in a heap.

Loki's eyes were the last things Eckhardt saw as the prince slowly disappeared from the room.

Xx

As soon as Wilhelmina heard Loki return she shot straight up in bed. He stopped in his tracks, surprised that she was awake.

He wasn't sure what to say. "Are you well?"

"Yes…where were you?"

"I had something to take care of."

"Someone."

"What?"

"I think you meant you had _someone_ to take care of. My father perhaps?"

Loki shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "Perhaps."

She got up from the bed quickly and walked over to him. "What did you do to him?"

"We talked. "

She gave him a skeptical look before gesturing towards the knife he still held in his hand.

Loki closed his eyes and sighed. "He still lives but he won't hurt you again Mina, I've made sure of it. You're safe."

Though she was curious about what happened between her teacher turned lover and her father, it was probably for the best that she remained in the dark on this one. She was safe, and that was what mattered.

"I believe you." She took his hand then and led him towards the bed. Wilhelmina gently pushed him down on the bed and lifted her gown to straddle his hips.

"You're sweet, thank you Loki."

He scoffed at her. "I am not sweet. I simply do not like-"

Her kiss silenced him. She lowered herself till her bottom rested on his lap.

"I think you've earned a reward for what you've done."

He smiled at her, guessing her intentions. "Have I?"

Wilhelmina reached both hands behind her to undo the fastenings of her dress. She pulled down the top of it to reveal her breasts to him, but Loki's eyes never left hers.

He placed both hands on either side of her face before lightly kissing the eye that now held the faint shadow of a bruise.

"You didn't deserve that."

It was a simple statement, but she was shocked when she felt tears streak down her face. She wiped them away frantically, causing another smile to break out on his face.

She had no words for him, so she kissed him again.

Loki's hands went up to caress her breasts as she began to move seductively in his lap, grinding against his hardening length.

He did not protest when she leaned forward to get him to lie on his back. She moved to his side to remove his trousers before sliding her dress down her legs. Loki removed the top half of his attire while she did this.

Wilhelmina crawled over him with a wicked smile on her face before she lifted herself onto her feet to crouch above him, using the headboard for leverage.

Loki's emerald eyes widened almost comically as Wilhelmina gripped his hardness and, squatting deeper, guided him into her cunt. She proceeded to slid up and down his cock, clenching as she rose and releasing as she fell in a completely unobstructed view of their passion.

Loki placed his hands on her hips as she moved on top of him. This was certainly not how he expected the rest of the night to go, but he prayed she would not stop.

He would have to put himself in her good graces more often.

Loki could feel his release approaching, and began bucking his hips up to meet hers.

It took an extraordinary amount of restraint for him not to come when Wilhelmina used her free hand to massage her sensitized clit. Her melodious moans driving him to his peak.

Seeing himself penetrate her while she pleasured herself increased the tension in his cock so much that he cried out a string of obscenities as he came, Wilhelmina following soon after.

When they both settled down, she reached over to grab a nearby handkerchief. She pressed the cloth to herself as she eased off him, quickly cleaning herself off.

Loki was still catching his breath when he felt her rest her head on his chest.

Sleep came easy.

Xx

In the months she knew him, they had never spent the night together. She never saw Loki sleep. Now with dawn just peaking in through the windows, Wilhelmina found herself biting her lip to try to hold back the smile on her face. She failed miserably.

When she planted a warm kiss on his cool chest, Loki groaned sleepily and turned on his side facing away from her. She flung an arm over him and snuggled against his back.

Loki had turned over so that she would not see the look on his face when he realized that she was still there in his bed, and that he didn't mind as much as he thought he would.

He was usually an early riser, but today he could stand to stay in bed a little longer.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: This chapter contains mature content. **

Chapter: 12

Loki was trying very hard not to laugh. This was supposed to be a serious lesson for her, one that could save her life, should it be threatened.

He could hurt her if this went wrong and he knew he was putting a lot of faith in her abilities.

Wilhelmina stood facing him on the other side of the room, with one of his doppelgangers standing nearby. When he had first conjured up one of his doubles to assist in today's lesson he thought the whole realm could hear her scream. Maybe he should have warned her first.

He found it incredible that it was his copy and not the impending lesson that was making her nervous.

A laugh escaped Loki when he saw the nervous look Wilhelmina kept giving the copy, who only gave her a reassuring smile in return.

He called out to her. "Look at me Mina, not him. I'm the one throwing the knife."

She kept an eye on the still smiling double of her lover. "Are you sure he can be trusted?"

"Of course darling, it is me technically."

She finally turned to the real Loki. "It is not you. It's…false."

"Oh, he's realer than you think, but you will have to try and trust him. If this goes wrong, he'll step in to protect you."

She did not look convinced, but what other choice did she have?

He spoke up again. "I'll count to three before I throw. You know what to do."

She straightened her stance and nodded that she was ready.

Loki met eyes with his doppelganger before he counted to three. He threw the dagger with less than half of his strength, but it still came at Wilhelmina at an alarming speed. It was headed straight for her with deadly accuracy.

He knew she had lost her nerve when her hands flew up to protect her face. The copy pulled her out of the way as the dagger shot past them and lodged itself into the wall.

Once he was sure she was alright, Loki ran a hand down his face in frustration.

"Again."

Xx

They had been at it for quite some time before she finally got it right.

Loki threw the dagger for what felt like the fiftieth time. This time, Wilhelmina quickly threw a hand in front of her and forced her essence out of her hand and toward the incoming weapon.

The dagger stopped abruptly a few feet in front of her before it flipped over and headed back in the opposite direction. It approached Loki with the same strength he had used to throw it.

Loki quickly stepped to the side to avoid being stabbed with his own knife, but it scratched his shoulder as it passed. It went straight through the cloth to his skin.

He felt a surge of pride for his little student. "Brilliant."

When he looked at her, she was clearly upset. "Are you alright Loki!?"

He laughed as he walked towards her. "I'm fine."

Relieved, Wilhelmina turned to look at the double that still stood beside her.

She felt silly before she even said a word. "Thank you for pulling me out of the way earlier."

"You're welcome."

She flinched. "You can speak!"

His laugh was identical to Loki's. "Yes, and I can do a lot more than talk." Before she could protest, he took her hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed it gently before releasing her.

She was mortified to find that she was blushing, and she quickly turned away from him.

This did not go unnoticed by the prince as he walked up to them.

Wilhelmina looked up at Loki and felt a chill run up her spine. He had that look in his eyes that only meant one thing: mischief.

And those eyes were looking right at her.

Xx

She was using her forearms to cover her exposed breasts, but still arched her back as Loki's duplicate worked his tongue over her slick heat. Whenever she looked over at her lover he was still sitting in the chair, and was still giving out orders.

His eyes were glued to the scene playing out before him. His voice was rough as he struggled to keep himself composed.

"Arms down." She obeyed, though hesitantly.

"Open your legs wider." She obeyed, and moaned.

Wilhelmina was embarrassed when it didn't take long at all for her to come, _loudly_, as the copy fluttered his tongue over her clit.

When he felt her go limp, he sat up and licked his lips before wiping his chin with his hand.

Loki gave her a few minutes before giving out his next order.

"On your knees; take him in your mouth."

"Loki…" She tried to resist.

"Now."

She obeyed. She was still recovering from her orgasm but managed to slide off the bed and to her knees on the cold floor.

She had taken her lover this way before, but with the double it felt deceitful. The fact that Loki was watching the whole thing aroused her more than she would ever admit.

Wilhelmina slowly wrapped her lips around the copy's hard length, taking in as much as she could. When she withdrew, she teased the wet tip with her tongue. He groaned and put a hand on the back of her head. He did not push her in to him, but left his hand there.

She began to moan as her head bobbed more enthusiastically on his cock. Feeling generous, she reached a hand up to massage his delicate sack.

Loki sat riveted by the scene, but soon after he got up from his chair and began removing his clothes. He didn't want to be left out.

She released the copy when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She twisted around to see her prince naked with his hardness in her face. Her skin turned crimson. She could barely handle one Loki, now she had two to please.

Wilhelmina did not hesitate to open her mouth for him. She used her hand on the double while her lips enveloped Loki. Her hand pumped faster as her tongue lapped her lover's cock.

The prince's eye lids fluttered shut and his head fell backwards. He had never used his magic like this with anyone, fearing that the woman would immediately protest. He marveled at his student's acceptance of him.

When he looked down and met eyes with his Mina, he almost lost himself.

He needed to be inside her.

Loki snapped his fingers, and the duplicate disappeared. She pulled away from him and he helped her to her feet before shoving her forcefully on the bed. He spread her legs as wide as they would go before he sheathed himself inside her cunt. He was still gripping one of her ankles as he moved.

Wilhelmina ran her tongue over the scratch on his shoulder, and that was all the encouragement he needed to pound into her until they both found their release.

Several minutes later Loki was still in bed watching Wilhelmina as she dressed. She spoke to him over her shoulder.

"One day, I'll learn to conjure a double of my own. Then I'll return the favor."

He laughed. "I'll hold you to that."

Xx

As soon as Wilhelmina left, Loki rose from his bed to pace the floor. He had not wanted her to know that he was restless, but now that he was alone, he found it hard to keep still while his thoughts were so occupied.

Thor's coronation was in three days. Soon, Asgard would have a new king. The thought of having to serve under his brother was something he could never accept, but feared he would be forced to try.

He ran a hand through his hair. He would not take this sitting down. If he was going to be a subject of the mighty Thor, he would certainly have fun at his expense.

Loki smiled to himself. He had work to do.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: This chapter contains sexual content. **

Chapter 13:

Loki had been restless, easily irritated. Wilhelmina knew he was trying to hide the fact that he was anxious about his brother's coronation. He would not discuss his thoughts with her but she tried to keep him calm and focused on their lessons.

However, on the night before the coronation, Loki's demeanor changed completely. It was strange to see him actually excited about the ceremony. And she reaped the benefits of his resolve.

He had barely entered the room that night before he began to remove his clothes. He looked at her with a look in his eyes she could not readily identify, but she could sense his haste. His voice was gruff when he spoke to her.

"Undress, now."

She smiled at him. The authority in his voice forced her to comply, unfastening the ties on her dress, letting it fall to her feet. She stepped out of the garment and kicked it to the side. Loki was still undressing as she stood there nude and ready for him.

As soon as the last of his leathers hit the floor, he strode over to her. He bent to grab her and she was hoisted over his shoulder. Wilhelmina shrieked in delight as he carried her to his bed. He tossed her on the mattress before dropping to his knees beside it. Loki griped both her thighs and slid her towards him, drawing her sex to his mouth. Wilhelmina squirmed in protest, but he dug his fingers into her thighs.

Loki mercilessly attacked her tender flesh, savoring her cunt before sliding his tongue over her clit. It didn't take long for her moans to fill every corner of the room. He pulled away once Wilhelmina began bucking her hips against him. He was not ready for her to finish yet.

Without wiping his mouth, Loki rose to hover above her. He kissed her deeply, moaning into her mouth. She could taste herself on his tongue and it aroused her even more.

After what seemed like ages, he finally spoke to her.

"Get on your hands and knees, face the headboard." Wilhelmina immediately slid from beneath him to position herself as he commanded.

While she moved, Loki lightly stroked his hardened length, barely able to contain his excitement. His strokes quickened as he situated himself behind the now panting woman.

Wilhelmina gasped when Loki slapped his cock against her skin several times, eliciting a moan from her that very nearly finished him. Balancing herself on one hand she reached between her spread thighs to massage herself.

The prince's time was precious, but he needed to be with her before the night ended. With one hand firmly gripping her hip and the other still clutching his length he guided himself into her and thrust with such blinding force that she screamed.

Foreplay was over, and he would not be gentle with her.

He bent forward, pressing his chest to her back. His hands reached to cup her breasts as he fucked her with a passion he had never shown her before. Wilhelmina began to buck against him, meeting his thrusts while her hand still worked her flesh. She felt like a fire was building inside of her.

"Gods Loki, don't stop."

He could feel her walls pulse around his cock and he knew she wouldn't last much longer.

He let go of a breast to grab a handful of her hair. She groaned in pleasure when he pulled, forcing her head backwards. His thrusts turned rough.

"Is this what you want?" he spoke to her, his words strained with uncontrollable lust.

"Yes master!"

"Is it?!" he hissed at her.

"YES!"

All sense was lost to writhing bodies, glistening with sweat, the sounds of their moans mixed with the slapping sound of their skin connecting again and again.

He spoke through gritted teeth, "Come for me Mina."

She whimpered in reply. After a moment he commanded her again.

"I said come you fucking harlot!"

That was all she needed to hear; his words always hit their mark. Her knuckles were white as she griped the bed sheets while riding out an orgasm that was so powerful, it left her trembling. Loki found his own release soon after and he collapsed on top of her with a loud groan.

He was still for only a moment before he was up on his feet again and dressing, telling her that some preparations still needed to be made for tomorrow and that he would likely be absent for the rest of the night.

Once he was dressed, he paused at the foot of the bed.

"Mina."

"Yes?"

"Do not come to the coronation. Stay at home and I will retrieve you once it is done." He did not wait for her response before turning and leaving.

Wilhelmina sat there, confusion etched on her face.

It was a very bizarre command, considering all of Asgard would be in attendance.

She laughed as she thought of what her master's reasoning was for wanting to leave her behind. She was still smiling as she stretched out on his bed. He was being ridiculous. She knew that Loki still thought he should be the one crowned king. She would easily spot his weakness; he had no mask around her.

She decided that she would be there to support him regardless. He would forgive her.

Xx

The grand hall, with its golden walls and mile-high ceiling was filled to bursting with every citizen in Asgard. There was a symphony of talk and laughter as all shared their excitement for the soon-to-be king.

Odin Allfather sat at his throne, a continuous vision of strong sovereignty. His queen, his younger son, Sif and the warriors three occupied the steps leading up to the royal seat.

The crowd shouted their praises as Prince Thor triumphantly made his way towards his father, coming to kneel at the bottom of the steps.

All attention was given to Odin as the declaration of kingdom was on the tip of his tongue. As Odin addressed his heir, Loki stood stoic, though all could see the envy scrawled across his features. None knew that mischief also bloomed within his heart.

Loki's thoughts were interrupted by a nagging feeling that he was being watched and had been for more than an hour. It was truly irritating. Who in this massive room would find him so interesting that they could hardly pay attention to the proceedings?

Fed up, he turned his head to survey the crowd. Though hundreds of thousands were present, he was able to make eye contact with her almost immediately: Wilhelmina.

He was instantly enraged and strained to contain the rage that he knew was being conveyed through his eyes.

_Fuck_, he thought. What was she doing here?

Unfortunately, it was at that very moment that his plans came to fruition.

"…the frost giants!" His father's words snapped him back to attention as realization slowly spread over the room, followed by absolute chaos.

There was a swell of fear that rose to the point of frenzy. Odin shouted orders for guards to escort people out of the castle. As the room started to empty, he pounded Gungnir on the floor, no doubt to summon protection for the relics that lay below ground in the weapon's vault.

Loki knew he would have to follow Thor and their father to the vault, but as he looked back and saw Wilhelmina being pushed through the crowd, he knew he could not just leave her there.

Xx

Wilhelmina was making a desperate effort to catch up with her retreating family when a hand reached out and pulled her into an alcove. She gasped when she found herself face to face with Loki's doppelganger. He said nothing before wrapping his arms tightly around her and teleported her away to Loki's chamber.

As soon as they arrived, he spoke.

"Stay here."

Wilhelmina was still out of breath. "What's happening? Are the frost giants really here?"

He was giving her a very serious look. "I'll explain once I return. Do not go anywhere and do not disobey me again Wilhelmina."

It seemed Loki was talking through his double, rather than allowing him a mind of his own. For that she was grateful. Though the situation was grave, she would have felt awkward talking to a very tangible double who just a couple days ago had his head between her legs.

She nodded. "Be careful."

Xx

"_My friends, prepare yourselves, we're going to Jotunheim. We leave within the hour. "_

This is not what he wanted to happen. He had only wanted to get a rise out of everyone and give the realm one more day without Thor as king. His brother was truly a fool for wanting to confront the frost giants. This was quickly becoming a more serious situation than he had intended.

After that dismal meeting he returned to his chambers, noted that Wilhelmina was still there, and hurriedly made his way over to his study.

She was on his heels as soon as he entered the room. She walked close behind him with her hands nervously twirling her hair. She watched as Loki gathered his daggers and placed them within hidden pockets in his clothing. Equipped and ready, he turned to the woman that all but clung to him.

He smiled when he saw her look of distress, but his words only worsened her visage.

"I'm going to Jotunheim."

"Why!?"

"Thor wants to confront the frost giants for breaking into the weapons vault. He believes that this offense severs any truce for peace set between us and their people."

He paused when he saw tears pool in her eyes.

He laughed. "You are worried for me?"

"Of course I am! You are going to a realm full of monsters! You could be hurt Loki."

He pulled her to him then and buried his face in her hair as she laid her head on his chest. His voice was slightly muffled.

"You have so little faith in your prince; you always let your emotions rule you."

She spoke into his chest, losing herself in his familiar scent. "Gods Loki, I cannot help that I love you!"

He stiffened. "…what?"

She gasped and quickly stepped away from him, bringing her hands up to cover her face. She groaned loudly while Loki continued to stare at her. When she finally lowered her hands, he saw an intense determination in her.

"I love you."

His heart sank. In those seconds, a million thoughts swam in his head, but he would be able to recount only one: she loved him, but he did not love her.

He continued to stand speechless and she knew she had caught him off guard.

"You do not have to speak now, just come back to me in one piece."

Loki nodded solemnly before kissing her forehead and quickly fleeing from her.

His reaction was not surprising. She would not expect any profession of love from her master, if he even loved her at all.

The door shut behind him, and she was alone again.

Xx

They were surrounded.

This insane mission had taken a predictable turn for the worse as his daft brother had to play in to the insults of one of the beasts. They had fought hard but they were hopelessly outnumbered. As the frost giants closed in around them, her plea for him to return was all that he would think of.

For now, he could block out the fact that he was to blame for why they were there. For now, he could ignore the fact that the touches of monsters left no effect on his skin. He needed to think that in all the confusion and fear that plagued him, there was one bright light that was waiting for him: Mina.

The arrival of his father had brought immeasurable relief, but upon their return to the bifrost, the altercation that occurred between Thor and Odin was yet another unexpected occurrence. His brother had been stripped of his power and cast out of the realm.

Had he known that this would be the result for his bit of fun, he would have thought better of it.

When he reached his doors for the second time that day, he leaned against them, willing himself to cross the threshold. He knew he would have to tell her what happened; she could not want hear it from anyone else.

Her face lit up when she heard the doors open, but darkened when she saw his face. Wilhelmina ran to embrace him. Loki only stood there, as if a statue. As he retold the events in Jotunheim he allowed her to smother him with affections until they fell into bed. He lay awake as she slept.

Loki's head was a mess as he lay next to the woman that loved him; his father's angered words for Thor echoing in his ears.

"_You are unworthy of the loved ones you have betrayed!"_

The words were not meant for Loki, but he could feel their sting.

Asgard was on the brink of war, his brother was gone, and his parents were inconsolable. It was a day of misery, and he was to blame.

That night, he dreamt of his own reflection. What stared back was not a prince of Asgard, but a creature of Jotunheim.

Xx

Loki took the casket in his hands and felt a chill wash over his entire body. He felt terror as his skin turned a blue hue, darkening the longer he held the source of Jotun power. It traveled up his arms and he could feel runes rising from his skin. How was this possible?

He heard the voice of his father. He turned to him, and as he listened, he felt his world spin out of control. He took steps towards the man, his panic rising with each measured step.

"The casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day was it?"

Xx

He looked down at the Allfather where he was still trapped in the Odinsleep. The woman he called mother held to her husband fiercely, as if trying to release some of her life source to him.

Seeing the despair in her eyes, he knew this was not the way he wanted to come to be king. He would make them proud nonetheless. He was the worthy son.

Loki rose from his seat and approached the corner of the room that housed Gungnir. He wrapped his fingers around the staff before gently lifting it from its holding place. He had never held the heavy staff that was once a symbol of his father's sovereignty.

Fate had brought him to this moment. It was always to be this way. Whether an Aesir or Jotun, he was destined to be a king.

He heard his mother's pained voice behind him.

"The council will want to reschedule the coronation. It shall be in your honor now my son."

He faced her, staff grasped firmly in his hand.

"I do not require one. The people will know who their king is soon enough."

They would not know that it was a frost giant that sat on the throne of Asgard. He would make sure of it.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: This chapter contains sexual content. **

Chapter 14:

"You are no longer confined to my chambers; you have free reign of the castle."

Wilhelmina looked up from her work, her brow furrowed in confusion. Ever since Loki was crowned king, he had commanded her to spend her days and nights in the castle, with only brief appearances at her home. She was now on her third day in her lover's chambers. She had no idea what he did during the day, but in those three days she had observed radical changes in Loki that ranged from excitement to terrifying rage. He abused his servants and he had lost his temper with Wilhelmina more than once. She quickly learned to tread lightly around the man.

Loki continued. "I have no reason to hide you now that I am king. The whole realm can know that you are mine and none will oppose our relationship."

"How can you be sure of this?"

"I will gain the complete trust of the Asgardians in due time. For now, look around and get accustomed to the castle. Soon this will be your new home."

Xx

Wilhelmina slowly walked down the halls of the castle. She had passed by many royal guards but none asked what her business was there, in fact, they hardly looked at her. She did feel like a commoner compared to the well-dressed lords and ladies that glided in and out of rooms.

After over an hour of exploration she rounded a corner and gasped when she found herself in a room that looked to be an indoor arboretum. There was a glass dome ceiling and fountains scattered amongst the trees.

This was a place she could easily grow to like, she thought with a smile. And even though the room lay deep within the walls of the castle, it appeared as though she were outside. It was a small sanctuary and she quickly settled in.

She had been lounging by a particularly large fountain when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She quickly rose to her feet when the queen came into view, her maidservants in tow.

The look of shock on the monarch's face was palpable as Wilhelmina kneeled before her.

"Your highness!"

"Lady Wilhelmina! What are you doing here?"

"The king has permitted me to explore the castle."

"Well then, this must be a wonderful change of scenery after being in my son's chamber for days."

Wilhelmina clearly blanched at the queen's words.

The royal woman gifted her with a warm smile. "There is little that happens here that I am not aware of child, and you are not the first person my son has hidden from me."

She walked over to Wilhelmina and took her hand.

"Will you speak with me for a while?"

"Of course, my queen." Frigga dismissed her servants before joining Wilhelmina at the fountain. She still held her hand.

"It has been some time since our first introduction. I have wanted to speak with you but have found you to be quite inaccessible. Tell me, has Loki been good to you?"

"Yes, he has….taught me a lot."

"And do you care for him?"

"I do, very much, though I fear he does not care for me in the same way."

The queen nodded.

"My son has taught you well, you are a powerful sorceress."

Another concerned look.

"Though I have not been able to speak with you, I have observed you these last months. I see so much of my Loki in you that it worries me."

Wilhelmina sighed. "I admit that I have lost myself. I have no place here, but I'm afraid I will give up my life for him, to be whoever he wants me to be. The person I was would never allow this. "

"Think, child. What is really more important to you, his life or yours? You cannot have both. It takes a strong woman to love my son Wilhelmina, but stronger women have left great men to become something greater themselves. "

The women spent another hour together before they went their separate ways.

Xx

Wilhelmina returned to Loki's chambers and felt a pain in her stomach when she saw that he was there. He stood at his balcony with his hands behind his back and surveyed his kingdom in silence, only turning when he heard her footsteps behind him. He held out his arms to her and she immediately went to him, as she had done countless times before.

His lips were rough against her skin and his hands clung to her with a strong desperation that she had not anticipated. She did not want this; she only wanted to discuss some of the things she had gone over with the queen. However, Loki was not allowing her to get a word in.

His hands were everywhere, and when he was not kissing her, she tried to speak.

"Loki there is something I must tell you."

"Tell me after."

"I must say this."

"Not now." He pulled her down on the bed.

Though Wilhelmina melted in the prince's hands, she was too afraid to take things any further without talking to him first. She could not continue this affair without knowing his true feelings.

She tried to lift herself up, but Loki only held her down firmer. She tried again, he restricted her.

"Do not deny me this." he said in a strained voice before slipping his hand beneath her dress. He ran his hand up her trembling thigh, inching closer to her sex.

"Loki, please stop."

He only hastened his movements.

She felt his long fingers cup her, gently massaging the swollen flesh beneath her undergarments. Loki moaned, feeling the warmth and dampness radiating from her womanhood.

Wilhelmina knew her body was betraying her and she thrashed beneath him, screaming for him to stop.

Loki withdrew his hand to firmly clasp it over her mouth. He hissed in her ear.

"Silence! You will take what I give you and enjoy it."

She was frantic. Who was this person? His hand reached down to grip her thigh painfully when she managed to knee him in his stomach, causing him to grunt. He released her thigh and quickly moved to untie the bindings at his trousers.

Suddenly, Wilhelmina's hand was pressed firmly to the center of his chest.

"Loki...STOP!" she commanded him with an astounding ferocity that would have stilled him if it were not for the blinding light that left her hand and engulfed him. He had no time to protect himself before the light threw him backwards and over the side of the bed. He landed hard on his back on the stone floor.

Absolute horror flooded Wilhelmina, but she did not dare check on the prince. When she heard his groan of pain, she pulled her legs to her chest. When she saw his hand slowly rise up and grasp the side of the bed, she leapt up and ran towards the door.

She had only taken five steps before he was upon her. As soon as his hand touched her shoulder, she whirled around, beating her fists against his chest. She felt helpless. She would not go down this road with another man, love be damned.

Wilhelmina screamed at Loki, "You are nothing but a petty, self-indulgent, bastard!"

Loki roared at Wilhelmina, "And you are an idiotic bitch!" He grabbed one of her arms.

"Do not forget that I own you! I will show you what it means to respect your-"

She slapped him. She had done it hard enough to force his head to the side.

She wrenched her arm away from him and ran out the doors, not even bothering to close them behind her.

He stood there. Head still tilted to the side, mouth slightly open, ties still undone on his trousers. His was seething.

He would find her and fuck her senseless. He would make her regret ever disobeying him.

His blinding rage steadily cooled to overwhelming regret as he remembered the look that was on her face when he held her down.

She was afraid of him and Loki recoiled at the thought of turning his only ally against him. He buried his hands in his hair. He had never tried to force a woman before, and he was a fool for doing it to someone that actually cared for him.

He loved her, godsdamnit he loved her. It made him sick: her blue eyes, the freckles on her face, the smell of her hair, the soft skin of her stomach, the way she cohered to him when he was inside her. He wanted all of it. He even loved the way she bit her lip when she was nervous.

She was nothing like the silly dalliances he had dealt with in the past. She was an intelligent, annoying, adventurous ball of energy that had brought light into his life. A life that he believed would always be shrouded in shadows. And she loved him. Or at least she used to.

Xx

She thought she had gotten away from him, but heavy footsteps behind her told her she was wrong. She turned and spoke before he could get any closer.

"I can feel this ...essence! Ever since the night you took my virtue I have felt it. I feel connected to you Loki. And no matter how I try, I cannot sever this bond we have. It feels like a heavy chain to me when it once gave me bliss."

"I feel it too; it's what drew me to you. Why would you try to sever this?!"

"Because it makes me ill to have you in my head when you have allowed this power to turn you into a monster!"

He flinched.

"You have yet to tell me that you care for me. I will hear anything Loki. Tell me that you love me, that you hate me, anything, just speak!"

"You know my heart better than anyone Mina…"

"True, but I want to hear it. You cannot lock me away in that fortress, Loki! What will you do when the time comes for you to choose a wife? What happens to me then? I will not be a mistress and I will not be cast aside. I'd sooner be a peasant."

He wanted to shake her. "Enough of this! As your king, I command you to return to the castle."

He reached for her but she slapped his hand away.

"No. Punish me, exile me if you must, but I will never let you have me again. I sought you to find a way out of court, and now you want to drag me back in. I never wanted this. I love you Loki, but I cannot lower myself for you. In the end I will be the one to walk away, not you."

She continued to stand before him, her eyes pleading for him to speak the words she wanted to hear more than anything.

"Do not do this Mina." That was all that he could say.

"Goodbye Loki." She placed a fist over her heart before turning back to the road. Loki stood watching until she was out of his sight.

Xx

Loki was never one to vent physically. That was something Thor was always expected to do, while the younger brother remained the intellectual. Today however, he would stoop to a barbaric level, and gods help anyone that stood in his way.

His room was in ruins. He toppled his bed, threw books across the room, and ripped fabric from the windows. No magic was needed to express his fury. He tore through his room until his hands bled.

He stood in the wreckage of his own possessions, breath ragged, skin raw. He had laid everything to waste except for a small crystal bird that he held tightly in his hand.

His regret and sadness morphed to a bitterness that ran through his entire being. How long could her love last when she had no idea who he really was? He could not bear loving her only to have her reject him after his lineage was revealed. It would have shattered what little resolve he had left.

He shook his head furiously. None of it mattered now that she was lost to him. She was right to call him a monster; it was his true self after all. A self he hoped would remain dormant for the rest of his life.

He balled his fist around the crystal and used all his strength to crush it into dust.

That woman had turned him soft. Mina…no…Wilhelmina would not plague him. He would let her go and she would have the freedom she longed for. He had his purpose and a kingdom to rule. This was his destiny and it would happen with or without her by his side.

The next day he found himself dangling from the broken rainbow bridge, the bifrost drowned in the seas that fell into the waiting void of space.

He had nothing. No family. No friends. No love. It was all for naught.

Xx

Distance. It was an overwhelming sense of distance that griped her very being. She took hold of the table as she fell to her knees. She couldn't speak, she could barely _breathe_.

Something was wrong. Loki was in trouble.

Without a word to her family, she burst from her home and ran into the streets. She could feel the tug of the essence pulling her towards him, and she ran until her lungs felt like they had shriveled in her chest. She was so lost in her fear that she hardly registered that she was running across the rainbow bridge at top speed, Loki's pulse fading with every passing second.

The bifrost was gone, and Thor and Odin stood at the edge of the bridge. She came to a stop between the men, and the look in their eyes told her everything.

With all that she had inside of her, with all that her lungs would allow, Wilhelmina screamed and cried into the abyss. She grasped the jagged edge of the bridge, cutting her hands in the process. She did not feel the pain or the blood that trickled down her palms and smeared on the rainbow rays. Darkness took hold, and she collapsed.

The awakened Allfather looked down at her, and then to his son. "Take her to the healing room."

Thor gently lifted her in his arms and carried her back towards the castle. The woman was light in his arms, but he found himself trembling from the weight of his grief.

His eyes looked up to take in the city, and for the first time, he failed to see the beauty in the golden realm. He could not yet comprehend living in a world where his brother did not exist and when he looked down at the unconscious woman, he knew he was not alone in his mourning.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

A whole year.

A year of tears and mourning that time melted into vague memories and shallow laughter. Wilhelmina had spent the first half of that year in Loki's bedroom. She wept into his pillows and ran her hands over the dust-covered books. Frigga would not allow anyone but the family and Wilhelmina into the room, causing the dust to build without the attention of the servants.

There was silence where there used to be playful banter and mild scolding. Though Loki had always been reclusive, there was a spirit in the castle and in the lives of the royal family that was dimmed by the prince's absence.

The second half of the year, while desperately trying to maintain what was left of her sanity; she took to working in the library. It had taken a few days to convince the librarian to let her spend her days there, but it was certainly better than heaving on Loki's floor.

She was assigned the mundane task of returning books to shelves, which took a considerable amount of time considering the size of the place. Within months, she learned about philosophy, geography, and history. Her tutors had been abandoned long ago, so she was now free to explore subjects of her own choosing, though magic was always top priority. She worked tirelessly to improve, as if Loki were there to criticize her. He had given her an amazing gift, and she would not let it go to waste.

And some nights when the empty side of Loki's bed put a pain in her chest, she would venture to Thor's room where he would welcome her graciously. They would sit out on the prince's balcony and talk for hours, he about his Jane, and she about her Loki. They found an unlikely friendship and comfort in each other.

The year came to an end, and Wilhelmina felt more at home in Odin's castle than in the home she was raised in.

Xx

There was a thunderous explosion of light as the tesseract's energy shot forth to open the portal. What emerged in a smoldering display was a man, or what looked to be a man.

He carried a glowing staff in his hands and as he lifted his head and surveyed the room, a wicked grin was spread across his jagged features.

There was no introduction before he attacked, SHIELD personnel falling unconscious or dead as the man tore through them with incredible speed and unmatched strength. The many bullets that were fired at him seemed to bounce off his armor as he continued to work his way through the small gathering.

When most were left broken Barton stood to fight, but the stranger dodged his attacks and touched his staff to the agent's chest. He did not kill him, choosing instead to take his mind. He used his power to create a new disciple.

The agent was lost and Nick Fury could only watch in horror before he regained focus on the tesseract. He quickly took hold of the case that held the infinite source of power, but had taken only a few steps before he was spotted.

The man's voice was calm. "Please don't; I still need that."

"Who are you?"

"I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."

Xx

Wilhelmina ran as fast her bare feet would carry her. The castle was silent and all that could be heard was her heavy breathing and feet hitting the floor.

She skidded to a halt outside the doors that concealed Thor's bedchamber, fists pounding on them furiously.

"Thor! Open the door!"

When he finally appeared, he was disheveled. His golden hair was a messy crown upon his head, and he wore nothing but loosely-fitting sleeping trousers. Any other night, she would have secretly admired the physique of the prince, but now her mind and heart were bursting with an unbearable mixture of fear and excitement.

Thor's voice was groggy from interrupted sleep. "What is it Wilhelmina?"

"I've felt him!"

"What…who?"

"Your brother!"

Thor was completely awake now and he placed two massive hands on Wilhelmina's shoulders to steady her…and himself. This was very unexpected news.

"You say you have _felt_ Loki?"

"His life force, yes. It was faint, but I'm sure it was him. We must alert the Allfather and send a search party immediately!"

The prince ran a hand through his hair as he tried to grasp what it all meant.

"Calm yourself while I dress. My father will not see you while you are frantic."

"Yes, yes, just hurry!"

The two ran down to the Allfather's chambers, Thor passing over the threshold with little regard for the opposing guards stationed outside. He called out for his parents and they soon appeared from a side door.

It was Frigga that spoke first. "You have summoned us Thor? What is the matter?"

Thor opened his mouth to speak but Wilhelmina cut him off, a radiant smile on her face.

"Loki lives!"

Xx

The former SHIELD headquarters was destroyed, along with many of their agents.

Loki had instructed his collection of followers to find a suitable location to house the tesseract and all equipment needed to stabilize its power.

As he walked through the abandoned warehouse his smile grew. The mortals were already setting to work. Soon he would have his army, and Midgard and its pathetic inhabitants would be his to conquer.

Xx

Thor and Odin had argued well into the morning after Heimdall had confirmed that Loki was alive and currently on earth. The gatekeeper had also reported on the destruction that the prince had caused upon his sudden reappearance.

None could explain how he had survived and what his plans were. Though this only seemed to be the concern of his father as Thor only wanted to bring Loki home. Odin, however, would not be swayed so easily.

"The people still have no explanation for the destruction of the bifrost, though the blame has been placed upon Loki. Many have dared to express their happiness for his demise. To have him return to Asgard will cause unrest in my realm!"

Thor stood with hands balled at his side, his eyes glaring up at the throne the king sat upon.

"He cannot be left on Midgard. He will continue to harm the people and what will the Asgardians say then? It will only worsen things! Father, you are too weak to confront and punish him there. Loki must be returned home."

The day was slipping away and still nothing had been decided on. While father and son argued, Frigga had taken Wilhelmina into the adjoining room. They kept their voices low.

"I fear this will go on for many more hours before my husband makes a decision."

"We mustn't wait my queen. The longer we wait the more likely it will be that Loki is hurt."

Frigga had been pacing the floor for several minutes. "I have spent too long mourning my son. I will not do it again."

There was some silence before she spoke up again. "Until my husband and my son can come to some agreement the task will fall to you my dear."

"I do not understand. "

"I will send you to Midgard. You must convince Loki to stop this madness and return to his family."

Wilhelmina's heart slammed in her chest. "I-I can't…I have never travelled outside the realm…I know very little of earth…"

"You know enough."

She sighed, her hands reaching out to grasp the edge of a small table. "When we last spoke it was not on good terms. I doubt he will want to see me."

"Please Mina, I need you. Loki needs you. Can you find it in your heart to care for him again? To love him?"

When the girl finally looked at her, Frigga could see the tears in her eyes, threatening to fall at any moment. "I never stopped."

The two shared a hug before the queen led her out of the castle. Both wore long robes to conceal themselves as they travelled by foot to the rainbow bridge, stopping once they approached Heimdall.

The queen held a hand up for Wilhelmina to stop and she stepped forward to speak with the gatekeeper. The dark-skinned seer only nodded his head as his ruler spoke. He finally took steps toward the younger woman, towering over her small frame.

He brought both hands to either side of her head and drew her in close.

Wilhelmina flinched when she heard his deep and powerful voice. "Do not close your eyes."

Those were the only words he spoke to her before his eyes caught fire. The flames rose from his irises and she thought it would cover his entire face. She struggled to stay calm and the effort caused her to quake in his hands.

That was when she felt it, the searing pain that began at the tips of her toes and quickly worked its way up to her scalp. Frigga watched in horror as Wilhelmina screamed and burst into white flames.

As quick as the flames appeared, they extinguished, leaving nothing but smoke between Heimdall and the queen.

Wilhelmina was gone, her scream echoing across the sky.

Xx

Her body barreled toward the earth in a flash of light. She landed on her feet but immediately fell flat on the ground. She coughed as she breathed in the dust and sand that rose with the wind that billowed around her. It didn't take long for the blazing sun to penetrate her thin clothing, heating her entire body.

She blinked several times before her vision cleared. What she saw was not encouraging. A barren desert very unlike the fertile forests of Asgard was sprawled out before her, heat waves rising from the red rock and brown sand.

Her mouth hung open. So this was Midgard. How was she going to find Loki here?

She slowly rose to her feet and brushed herself off, failing to remove the dirt that had stained her gown. A low rumble caught her attention and she turned to see armored vehicles headed right for her.

Xx

The king was losing his patience. "Listen to me boy! You do not know him like you think you do."

"He is my brother! I have known him since we were children."

"Do you recall his birth? Do you ever remember your mother being with child?"

"I was younger then and did not pay attention to such things."

"But you have always known that he was not like other Aesir. You yourself have seen how dangerous he is."

"Loki has always been one for mischief, but-"

"Thor, he spoke the truth. Loki is not your brother, he is a Laufeyson!"

The prince roared out his frustration, picking up a chair and hurling it toward the nearest wall. The chair shattered into pieces but it did little to calm him.

"Whether he is of my blood or not, Loki is and will forever be an Odinson!" He turned his back on his father and stomped toward the doors. "I will find my own way to Midgard and I will bring my brother home!"

Odin rose from his throne as the doors closed behind Thor. He had failed his youngest, he could not deny Thor.

Xx

Wilhelmina knew that running was fruitless, so she stood her ground while the men quickly surrounded her, guns pointed directly at her head. She had learned enough about Midgard to know that these weapons were lethal, so when one of the men shouted for her to put her hands up, she complied.

The man that spoke approached her and roughly pulled her hands behind her, binding them at the wrists. She was utterly defenseless and terrified, and she felt like she had already failed Loki. The same man shoved her forward towards the car and helped her in. Not a word was spoken while they drove through the desert.

They drove for 10 minutes before they arrived. The seemingly abandoned warehouse did not look like much at first, but as she was practically dragged through the decaying building and through many doors, she realized that there was more to this building than what was seen on the surface.

She was lead into an elevator, still completely surrounded by armed men. As the car descended, she sighed when the blistering heat subsided. Such extreme weather did not exist on Asgard.

After exiting the elevator, there were more hallways. It seemed like the further down they travelled, the colder it got and the more she could feel Loki's essence. Yes, he was here. Her heart beat faster as they finally made it into the work area.

It was teeming with people, some in white coats, and some wearing the same clothes as the men that currently escorted her. None of the people acknowledged her. Loki's energy was overriding her senses now and Wilhelmina looked around frantically for him.

She heard him before she saw him. He was yelling at a poor woman that was fixing some kind of machinery. His back was facing her, but she could not be surer that it was him. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes.

"LOKI!" she struggled against the men but they held her back. She could barely move, but she yelled his name again until he whirled around.

She watched as his face went from absolutely shocked to furious. He summoned one of her guards to him and bent to speak with him. It was a short conversation before the man returned to the group.

The man spoke to her but she could hardly hear him, she was mesmerized by Loki. His hair was longer, but everything else looked the same. He was alive, alive and well from what she could see. Why was he acting this way?

Before she could make sense of it she was being dragged down a hall and away from the work area. She was struggling in earnest now but was quickly thrown into a furnished room, landing on her side on the cold floor. The door slammed shut and she could hear a lock activating.

Her hands were still tied behind her and she sat there, shaken and confused.

Thor should be here, she thought, he could sort this all out better than she could. No, she must be strong for Loki. Whatever's happening here, she would see him through it and then they would return to Asgard together.

She flinched violently when the door flew open, revealing Loki. She opened her mouth to speak but he grabbed her by her shoulders and lifted her completely off her floor. He shoved her against the wall with enough force to knock the wind from her.

Wilhelmina looked into his eyes: the same green pools, but something was off. There was no light in them, and the rest of his face was ashen. Was it possible that he had aged since she last saw him?

Loki spoke to her for the first time in over a year. His voice was cold, unyielding.

"Why are you here?"


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hey there! So, work is a bitch but I finally have the time to do some serious writing. Usually, I spend more time trying to piece everything together in this story than actually writing the damn thing. So instead of driving myself crazy trying to get everything in order, I'll just relax and see where this goes. I can put chapters together a lot quicker that way. Thanks to everyone that is following and those that put this story on their favs list! As for my reviewers, you guys are awesome. **

**This chapter contains sexual content.**

Chapter 16:

"I've come to rescue you."

He actually laughed at her before his look sobered. "Does it look like I need rescuing?"

She stared at him. "No."

Loki released her and moved to untie her hands.

Wilhelmina rubbed her sore wrists and there was an awkward silence before she willed herself to speak. "What happened to you Loki? We all thought you were dead."

"For a while I thought I was too."

"I don't understand."

"I know. There's no way you could and I will not explain myself to you." He stepped away from her. "You must leave."

She stepped back in front of him. "Only if you come with me Loki."

"No. I want you gone."

She could feel her anger rising. "What ties do you have here? Are they stronger than the family that misses you?"

He turned on her so suddenly she yelped. "THEY ARE NOT MY FAMILY!"

"How could you say that!?"

"…I see they have not told you."

"Told me what?"

"You will know in due time." His eyes bore into hers. "Stay in this room. I will figure out what to do with you later."

"Loki, we need to talk."

"I'm very busy I'm afraid, and besides, I have nothing to say to you." He turned away from her.

Wilhelmina ran to the door and stood in front of it with her arms spread wide. "You are _not_ leaving this room."

He was stunned. Here she was, the woman he had dreamt about, made real again. And she was every bit as fiery as he remembered her.

His eyes greedily took in the slight flush of her skin, the mess of untamed hair around her face, the way her chest rose and fell. Suddenly all he could think of was running his fingers through her hair, pulling her brown locks until tears stained her face. He wasn't sure what came over him, but before he could stop himself, he quickly strode over and wrapped his arms around her before kissing her. It was a passionate kiss, yet she immediately tried to push him away.

He would never forget the painful experience of her last resistance. She denied him the last time they were together and he would not give her the chance to do it again. He wanted to humiliate her for thinking him weak enough to be trapped on this wretched pile of dust the mortals called a planet, for thinking she could drag him back to his false home, for how she had left him to rule Asgard alone.

They grappled with each other for a short time before Loki pulled her to the floor. He immediately pinned her beneath him, moving between her legs as he planted warm kisses along her neck.

It had been so long since she was touched like this. Wilhelmina wanted to fight him, but the aching in her chest kept her still. To be close to him again was irresistible. The fighting quickly turned to kisses and wandering hands as the former lovers explored one another.

Any relief she was feeling disappeared when she felt his fingers wrap around her neck.

"Loki…" she began, but was silenced by Loki ripping her undergarments from her and tossing them aside.

She screamed when he suddenly entered her, the pain bringing tears to her eyes.

He didn't care if she enjoyed it. He just wanted _her_.

"Lucky for you, this will not last long."

Loki tightened his grip on her throat and she spread her legs wider, obeying his silent command.

"Good girl", he rasped into her ear as he began to pound into her.

It took only a few minutes before the pain morphed into rough pleasure. The way he moved inside her was glorious, even when he was near to squeezing the life from her. Though Loki was rarely a gentle lover, he was never this selfish. She missed the way he would smile down at her, eyes traveling over her body as he would bring her to completion again and again. This was not the same man, he hardly looked at her.

She was beginning to feel light headed when he came, moaning softly. She gasped when he loosened his grip on her neck, but as soon as Wilhelmina felt his cock throbbing inside her, a wave of shame washed over her. This was not why she was there; to be thrown on the floor and ravaged by the fallen prince. What would Frigga say if she knew?

She tried to hit him, but he caught her fist effortlessly.

Loki laughed in her face. "Oh how I've missed you."

"Let me go!"

"Unless you want me to fuck you again, I suggest you train your tongue."

Wilhelmina watched in silence as he rose and adjusted himself. He looked down at her.

"I will send someone in to see to your needs." She did not respond, but turned on her side, facing away from him. She heard the door open and shut behind him, and the unmistakable sound of a lock engaging.

Within the hour, a woman arrived with two packages: one containing clean clothes, the other food and water.

The woman only spoke to show Wilhelmina how to operate the shower before leaving her alone in her prison. It was a rather small room, with a table, two chairs and a bed in the corner. Another door led to the bathroom.

She spent the next several hours pondering how she could convince Loki to return with her to Asgard; he was being extremely difficult. She could hear voices outside her room as well as many other loud sounds she could not identify.

She needed answers. The sooner, the better.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: This chapter contains sexual content.**

Chapter 17:

"Do you remember this? I have dreamt of touching you again."

He was so desperate in his movements, as if he thought she would disappear. She heard him growl under his breath before he roughly pulled her up to her knees. He wasted no time before spitting on his hand to lubricate himself and thrust into her, causing her to once again cry out in glorious pain.

"_Yes_…", Loki moaned as he rolled his hips to push inside her deeper. He grunted with each powerful thrust. This is what he needed, what he missed.

He felt his end approaching quicker than he would have liked, so he would slow things down. He pulled away and allowed Wilhelmina to lie on her back. Lying beside her, he gently turned her so that his chest rested against her back.

Loki lifted her thigh above his hip and this time, he entered her slowly. She cried out when his fingers reached over to dip into her now soaked folds, his other hand massaging a breast. His hands quickened just as his thrusts did.

Lewd encouragement flowed from his lips as Wilhelmina felt her entire body tense from impending release. She was so close. She covered his invading fingers with her own, pushing him in deeper as her control broke. "Oh fuck I'm coming! Oh Loki!"

As soon as he felt her contract around him he rolled over onto his back, pulling her on top of him.

She was out of breath and the sight of her shaky, glistening body aroused him to a lustful frenzy as he guided her with both hands on her hips. Her hair was a silky curtain over a face and her hands gripped his shoulders as she rode him.

After he came, he sat up, making sure that she was still nestled in his lap. She wrapped her legs around him as he caressed her back. She felt his hot breath on her chest and closed her eyes before burying her face in his hair. They sat entangled in each other for quite some time before she excused herself to the bathroom. When she emerged she was surprised to see Loki dressing. She climbed into bed and pulled the covers over herself and watched him.

"You will not stay?"

"I have work to do."

"I have been trapped here for two days, and I have yet to see you rest. Have you been working this entire time?"

"Yes."

"Will you sleep beside me?"

"No time."

"You do not have to sleep, just lie down."

This time he clearly hesitated. "I can't."

"Loki, please. Come to bed."

She smiled when after a few moments he leaned his staff against the wall and finally climbed in next to her. He laid back with a sigh and closed his eyes. She did not speak and in a matter of minutes he was asleep. She carefully leaned on her elbow to look down at the prince. The stern look had left his face leaving the peace she loved.

She waited an hour before slowly rising from the bed. It was time for her to get some answers. If Loki was not going to give them to her, she would find out for herself.

She quietly made her way over to the door and pressed her ear to it to see if anyone might be on the other side. She noticed a slight gap between the floor and the bottom of the door, and when she bent down to look beneath it, she saw no one. With one last look back to see that Loki was still asleep, she pressed her hand near the handle and used her magic to break the lock and force the door open. The sound was louder than she thought it would be and she was reassured when Loki did not stir.

Wilhelmina nervously attempted to navigate through the many halls that made up the labyrinth that was the base. She vaguely recalled how to make it back to the main work area, and was relieved when her first guess was right.

The room was just as busy as it was when she first arrived. People were hard at work and many armed men surveyed the floor. She felt completely out of place in the black dress that the woman had given her, but she did not betray any self-consciousness when she mustered enough courage to step out of the shadows.

She made her way to the tented space where she first saw Loki. The area was extremely cluttered and amongst the scattering of parts was an older man. When he looked up, he gave her a warm smile.

"Hello there!"

"Hello."

He seemed to consider her for a while before he spoke again. "You're Loki's woman?"

She bristled at his words. "I am not his."

"Don't be shy; you're very important around here."

"What do you mean?"

"Well when Loki takes over, he'll need a queen right?"

She could feel a dull pain growing in her chest at the man's words. "When he takes over?"

The man eyed her suspiciously. "He hasn't told you? About the plan?"

"Very little; would you care to go over the details with me sir?"

"Eric."

She smiled at him. "Please Eric?"

As the man revealed Loki's plans to her, she had to question whether or not they were speaking of the same man. She prayed that Odin would send Thor soon.

Xx

Loki awoke with a start and sat straight up. How long had he been asleep?

When he looked over and saw that he was alone he leapt for the door. His anger boiled over when he saw that the lock had been broken. She was gone.

Xx

WILHELMINA!

She jumped when she heard Loki screaming for her. He was definitely awake, and furious.

She turned back to Eric, her voice filled with panic. "Where is the tesseract Eric?"

"I…"

"Tell me!"

Xx

She ran at full speed toward the containment area. She was surprised to see that there were no guards around the weapon. Perhaps they were looking for her.

She had never seen the tesseract before, but when she saw the blue, glowing cube resting within its case, she immediately ran towards it. She had to destroy it somehow or at least get it out of Loki's reach. She could not let him destroy this planet.

Her heart was hammering inside her chest and her fingers were inches away when a hand grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around. "You shouldn't be here."

She recognized the guard as one of the men that had brought her to this base after she fell. She tried to pull away but he held firm.

"Loki wants you returned to your room."

Wilhelmina shoved him back as hard as she could and tried to reach for the tesseract again. This time, he took hold of her from behind, pinning her arms at her side.

"I don't want to hurt you miss, but I will if I have to."

Xx

Loki was pacing the floor when Barton finally brought her in. He could see in her eyes that she was scared. She did not give him a chance to speak first.

"How could you do this?!" She knew.

He sighed before reaching for her. She dodged him.

"I was the rightful king of Asgard before my throne was stolen from me. I am here to reclaim my sovereignty." He stepped towards her. "You have seen these mortals, how pathetic they are. They are begging to be ruled."

She shook her head. "Gods…what happened to you…"

"I was doing this for myself…and then I saw you again and I couldn't help myself. I've changed Wilhelmina. I do this for us both now…so we can try again."

"No, I want to go home. I can't do this."

"This is your home."

"This desert!?"

He smiled at her. "Yes, and the forests, the oceans, the cities. They will all be ours darling."

This was insane. How could he think that she would go along with any of this? "I don't want this realm and I don't want you! How dare you claim these people to heal your wounded pride! You are the one that's pathetic!"

As soon as the words left her mouth he slapped her hard enough for her to collapse on the floor clutching the side of her face.

When he took steps toward her she crawled away from him and into a corner. Her knees were pulled up into her chest and her hands were in her hair. She was trembling.

"No Loki, please don't."

He said nothing before he grabbed some of her hair and dragged her to her feet.

"Stop! Please!", she sobbed.

He could barely contain his anger as he raised the tip of his staff to her chest. "Shut up!" As soon as she stilled, he softened his voice. "I wish I didn't have to do this, but I cannot have you interfering. I will release you in time… please be patient Mina."

It was the first time he had said her name that way in so long, and it made her sick to her stomach.

"I hate you."

The pain in his face and in his voice was evident. He touched his forehead to hers, his eyes screwed shut. "I love you."

He touched his staff to her chest, and she went cold. A chill radiated from the point of the staff and spread throughout her body. The more it spread, the more she felt herself slip away. The tension left her, and her fear gave way to calm.

Loki watched the deep blue of her eyes pale into a glassy, sickly color. He slowly removed the staff from her chest, and as he did, a wide smile appeared. The look was eerie as it clashed with the tears that stained her face.

"Wilhelmina?"

Her smile remained but was now accompanied by a sweet voice. "Yes master?"


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: This chapter contains a bit of sexual content. **

Chapter 18:

It had been an absolutely grueling last couple days, but he was comforted by the progress they were making. The final element they needed was apparently in a place called Stuttgart. Soon, the portal would be opened and he would have his army.

Numerous thoughts were swimming in his head as Loki walked down the halls and into his room. He saw Wilhelmina standing in front of him, but she looked a little...off. As she stood there smiling at him he felt arms wrap around him from behind, a soft voice whispering in his ear.

"I told you I would return the favor master." The heat of her breath on his skin caused a lustful shiver to travel down his spine.

He looked over his shoulder at Wilhelmina. "Indeed you have."

The copy walked over to him and stood on the tips of her toes to bring her lips to his. Loki welcomed her and they shared a passionate kiss while the other removed the top half of his clothing. When the copy lowered herself to remove the rest of his clothes, Loki turned his head to kiss Wilhelmina, his tongue fighting against hers. Another shiver took him as she moaned into his mouth just as the copy ran her tongue along the base of his cock, seductively lapping up the arousal that glistened at the head.

It was times like this that he didn't regret using the tesseract on Wilhelmina. Yes, having her this way was a good thing. And when he released her, she would be angry, but she would eventually come to accept her new role. He would give her no other choice.

The next morning he awoke on his stomach with his arm draped over the copy with the true Wilhelmina on his other side resting her head on his back. When she woke and saw that Loki held her doppelganger, she wrinkled her nose and snapped her fingers to remove the other woman and the sudden shift in the bed caused Loki to stir. He turned his head and looked at her with tired eyes.

He could tell by the look on her face that she was not pleased with him.

He gave her a wicked grin. "Well, she was the better looking one…"

"Is that so?"

"No", he said with a laugh as he suddenly lunged for her. Loki began tickling her around her ribs, causing Wilhelmina to laugh hysterically while trying desperately to free herself.

"What's this? My beautiful sorceress reduced to a giggling mess?!"

He finally stopped when he brought tears to her eyes and he held her till she calmed. They rested in a sleepy haze till he spoke.

"I'm leaving and I will not return here, but will meet you at a different location. You will assist Selvig with his work until Barton and his team come for you, understood?"

"Why must I always stay behind?"

"It's safer."

"I would prefer to stay with you."

"I would as well, but I cannot risk your safety."

"I am not as weak as you believe me to be, master. Your men will protect me if something should happen, and are you really doing something so dangerous?"

"No, but it could easily lead to disaster."

"Then you'll have to be careful won't you?"

He smiled at her. "I suppose so."

Xx

Wilhelmina looked herself over in the full length mirror that had been provided for her. The gown was floor length and resembled the dress that Loki had once gifted her in Asgard. It was a darker green this time and instead of a solitary jewel on her dress, there were diamonds that hung from her neck and her wrists. She looked absolutely regal, like a queen.

It seemed Loki shared the same opinion as he lost his train of thought as soon as he saw her. He was standing by their private plane with Barton and several former SHIELD agents. He only realized he was staring when he saw the blush that graced her face. Loki quickly shook his head and turned back to his top agent.

"Be sure that Wilhelmina is back on this plane before your team heads for SHIELD. I want her and Selvig in New York by tomorrow."

"Got it, sir."

"Take care of her Barton."

"Yes, sir."

Xx

By Odin, this was boring, Wilhelmina thought as she sipped at her wine. Loki had been relatively quiet on the plane ride to Stuttgart and she still was not entirely sure of why they were there. She loved the man but she could hardly stand his continual vagueness.

Many men had approached her when they saw that she was alone. She quickly dismissed them and continued to walk around the crowded lobby of the opera house. Guests were dressed in lovely outfits and drinking expensive wine while talking about their expensive possessions, all while a band played in the background. She could almost smell the pretention in the air. Though she was possibly billions of miles away, she still felt like this could easily be an Asgardian event.

She was considering using the communicator nestled in the neckline of her dress to summon an agent to take her back to the plane when screams got her attention.

Wilhelmina turned to see that Loki had returned and was currently standing over a man who he had thrown on a table. She watched as he pulled a contraption from his suit and stabbed it into the man's eye. Blood immediately covered the man's face as his eye was ripped from his skull, with Loki smiling at the horrified spectators.

She felt her skin flush and her heart race at the scene. She had never seen anyone so riveting and so very powerful. She knew she would die before she ever had to live without him again.

Xx

Loki walked through the crowd, his arms outstretched as he spoke to the feeble mortals that feared him. She gave him a small smile when his eyes met hers for the briefest of moments before scanning over everyone again.

As she knelt along with the rest of the people, she was in absolute awe of her king. She had never seen him in his full armor before. One day, she thought, he would have the whole world kneel before him. This was only the beginning of something magnificent. She had never been so excited for the future.

She couldn't contain her smile when the old fool stood to confront him. She watched with increasing excitement as Loki raised his staff to kill the man, only to instead see yet another man interrupt. This one managed to attack.

As the people began to scatter in all directions, Wilhelmina felt herself being lifted off her feet by one of Loki's agent. She squirmed away from him and ran back towards the fight and skidded to a halt at the thunderous sound a SHIELD aircraft made as it hovered over the area. Soon after she watched in horror as a man of iron detained Loki and hauled him onto the airship.

Before she could do anything to stop it, she was being carried off again. They were taking her back to the plane. She screamed for him to release her but was ignored. She slipped out of the man's grasp a second time when she saw Barton and his team climb into a separate airship.

She ran up to the ship and threw the open door, alerting everyone inside.

Barton was the first to speak. "What the fuck are you doing?! Get on the plane!"

"Where have they taken him!?"

Barton spoke to the agent that was closest to her. "Carter, get her out of here!"

Agent Carter only took one step towards her before she used her power to shoot a blast of light at him that threw the man back into the side of the aircraft. He slumped to the floor with a loud groan. The rest of the agents stood in shock, but none raised their guns.

Wilhelmina turned back to Barton. "How do you plan on freeing him?"

"We have it under control."

"I'm coming with you."

He almost laughed. "No way."

"I did not ask for your permission."

He thought about it, looking over at the still injured man before he sighed irritably. "Fine, but you're suiting up."

**A/N: I've read a lot of stories with OCs where the author will mix two different stories pretty seamlessly without changing any of the main Avengers story. I won't be doing that. From now on, some of the events in The Avengers will change because of my OC. Don't worry; I'm not throwing everything off the rails. **


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

Wilhelmina held onto the railing as she walked across the airship to stand beside Barton. Her hair whipped around her face as she looked down onto the SHIELD helicarrier they were slowly approaching. She felt no fear, her thoughts consumed with where Loki was imprisoned and how they were going to get him out.

When they were finally making their way across the surface of the SHIELD headquarters, she kept close to Barton. When the team created an opening for them to breach the airship, he wrapped an arm around Wilhelmina and pulled her in close before they leaped down into the ship.

He still held her to him after they safely landed until he was sure they had not been detected. He instructed his team before heading down a corridor with Wilhelmina on his heels. In her new suit, she felt liberated. The form fitting outfit was completely different from the dresses she had always worn, and she had been embarrassed to put it on at first. Now, running and jumping behind Barton, she knew why Lady Sif chose to dress like this: freedom!

They ran all around the helicarrier, with the rouge agents causing chaos. Thankfully, Barton seemed to know exactly where he was going and as they walked through an abandoned room Wilhelmina began to feel Loki's presence. They were halfway through when they were cut off by the sudden appearance of a red haired woman who immediately went for Barton.

Wilhelmina was not much of a fighter; Loki had only taught her the very basics in combat. So when the woman swung at her, she managed to move out of the way, but not return a hit of her own.

The woman fell to the side but recovered quickly as Barton made a go for her. Their attacker was holding her own exceptionally well as Wilhelmina just managed to side step a vicious kick before sending a white-hot blast of power towards the woman but missed, nearly hitting Barton instead.

When he was finally able to control her, he had her in a headlock and yelled to Wilhelmina. "Get to Loki!"

As soon as the words left his mouth the crazed woman escaped his grasp, and in an extremely athletic tangle of legs and fists managed to bash Barton's head against one of the metal railings, and his limp body sunk to the floor. It was when the woman turned to face her that Wilhelmina knew that she would never let her go as long as she was still standing.

In a last ditch effort, Wilhelmina reached for the dagger that was holstered to her suit and hurled it at her, using her magic to guide it. She prayed that it would hit its mark, but it veered too far to the right and lodged itself in her left bicep. The woman fell to her knees with a loud cry and quickly reached for her gun with a shaky hand but Wilhelmina ran away screaming just as she started firing.

She escaped the room and ran passed many SHIELD agents who did not look twice at the suited woman. She was now very aware of how alone she was. Regardless, her mission had not changed. Even with all the chaos that surrounded her, all she could think about was being with Loki again. Nothing else mattered. His energy guided her through the ship that was slowly falling out of the sky.

She rounded a corner and actually screamed when she found him. Loki turned at the sound of her voice and had no time to react before she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, stifled cries escaping her throat.

Loki returned the gesture, despite the fact that he was extremely confused and extremely pissed.

"How did you get here?"

"I forced Barton to take me to you."

His anger evaporated at her words and he laughed. "Did you really? Well where is he?"

"A woman attacked us and…she took him."

Though Loki was a little upset to have his best agent compromised, he was relieved that he had kept Wilhelmina safe. He smiled down at her. "I won't let you out of my sight again."

Behind the reunited couple stood the now trapped Thor, who after recognizing the woman that embraced his brother, found himself to be speechless.

"I'm not sure I like you wearing the enemy's armor Wilhelmina."

Loki put a protective arm around her waist and turned her so that she faced the awestruck Thor. "Nonetheless you are stunning, don't you agree Thor?"

The prince finally found his voice. "What has he done to you?"

He saw the confusion on her face and her answer was phrased as a question. "He has loved and cared for me?"

"Release her Loki."

He smiled at his brother over the shoulder of the woman that stood between them. He loved dangling her in front of the idiot. Keeping his eyes trained on his brother, Loki kissed Wilhelmina on her shoulder.

The elder brother was beginning to panic. "Look at me Wilhelmina. You are being deceived. Loki has taken over your mind and you are no longer yourself. The woman I know would never agree with any of this!"

He watched as the look on her face turned to pity. She stepped away from Loki and walked up to the glass that separated them. She spoke to him slowly, as if to be sure he understood. "I was mistaken before, Thor. I believed that Loki was foolish to try and take the Earth but now I have seen the weakness of mortals and I do agree with the plans he has for them. Loki _will_ save these people, give them order, and take his rightful place as king with me by his side as queen."

Behind her, he could see that Loki was beaming as she moved to stand beside him again. He tightened his arm around her before he whispered in her ear. "I was just telling Thor how the humans believe us to be immortal. We should test that on our prisoner. Would you like to do the honors my love?" Wilhelmina turned her head to see that Loki's hand hovered over the machine that would drop Thor from the helicarrier.

She smiled sweetly at Thor and turned towards the machine when a voice interrupted them.

"Step away please." All three of them looked towards the SHIELD agent that was pointing his gun right at Wilhelmina. Loki wasted no time pulling her behind him as the man advanced towards them. Suddenly, Loki was no longer in front of her but behind the intruder, who now had the tip of Loki's staff stabbed through his chest. The man fell to the floor and slumped against the wall. Loki looked down at the man with a look of disgust before returning to the shaken Wilhelmina. He took her hand and placed it on the machine. With one last look at Thor, they both pushed the button that released the cage, sending Thor hurtling towards the Earth.

After a few minutes, Loki pulled her to him and kissed her before taking her hand again to lead her away. The voice of the dying man stopped them in their tracks.

"You're going to lose."

Wilhelmina tightened her hand around Loki's as he turned to speak to the dying man. They went back and forth for a short while when she noticed the man's gun activating.

She shoved Loki out of the way just as the gun was fired. She was hit with a powerful shot that lifted her off her feet and threw her through the wall and into the next room. Her body slammed into a wall and there was the sickening sound of her head colliding with the floor before everything went black.

Loki rushed in and fell to his knees before her. He held her in his arms but she did not stir, though she was still breathing. Unfortunetly that was right when one of his agents approached and called for Loki to follow him to the waiting airship.

He looked down at the woman he still held tightly, and for the first time since he arrived on the planet, his mind went blank. All he could feel was an immense relief that she was still alive, and that he never wanted to feel the fear of losing her again. With him, she would remain in danger and he would not know how to protect her once the Chitauri arrived.

His agent was all but commanding him to follow him outside, but he kept looking down at Wilhelmina. His Mina had sacrificed herself for him, and now he was going to throw her to the beasts, at least for a short while. One day, when the war for earth was over and he stood as their king, he would return for her.

He sat her up against the wall and kissed her forehead. He forced himself to quickly follow the agent down the hall before he could change his mind.

Xx

The first thing that registered when she woke was the pain. There was a stinging pain that began behind her eyes and then spread to pulse through her brain. As she struggled to bear it, she tried to piece together where she was and what had happened to her.

She could only clearly remember an argument with Loki, but in an instant, she was overwhelmed with flashes of obscure memories, each one bringing its own fresh pulse of pain. She remembered the tesseract, some of the people that worked in the lab, she remembered a long journey, a dress, and screams. Most of her flashes were of Loki and she felt a tug in her heart when she recalled how happy he seemed…and then she remembered Thor.

She struggled to sit up, to move her arms and legs, but she could hardly move at all. Braving to open her eyes against the bright lights she knew hung above her; she looked down to see herself bound to a table with cold metal bars. She also realized that she was alone in a room with nothing in it but her and the table she lay upon. There was a door on her right side and after several panicked minutes, it swung open.

The man that entered the room was tall and dark. He wore a long black coat and she saw that he wore a patch over one eye. When he spoke, his voice did not betray any signs of anger, or even fear. To her horror, the man actually sounded amused.

"Welcome back, Agent. Sleep well?"

She was shaking and tears streamed down her face. All she could think to say was his name. She said it over and over, calling out to someone she prayed would hear her.

After a while the man raised his voice to speak to her. "Loki is not here. He escaped his cell and boarded another ship. He left you behind."

"Where am I? Who are you!?"

"I am Nick Fury and you are currently being held at SHIELD headquarters."

Loki had told her these people were the enemy. They had trapped him here before? "Loki will return for me."

"No, he won't; that I can guarantee."

She turned her face away from him.

"Will you kill me?"

"No. We have some questions to ask you since we believe that you were under Loki's influence."

"His influence?"

"He used the tesseract to take over your mind so that you would obey him."

"He wouldn't…". She closed her eyes. Yes he would.

"I know all of this is hard to accept. I don't even know how long you were under his control. But the more you cooperate with us, the more comfortable you will be here. After you answer our questions and we ensure that you are not a threat, we can work on getting you home."

"How could I go home? I failed them and they must hate me now."

"Who hates you?"

"His family and my own. I was supposed to bring him home."

"Bring who home? Loki?"

She nodded her head.

"Did you know Loki before he came to Earth?"

"Yes."

"Do you also know Thor?"

"…Yes."

Fury walked over to the other side of the table to look at her face. "Where is your home?"

She spoke just above a whisper, the word burning her tongue. "Asgard."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

"That bitch stabbed me and you want to console her?"

"Calm down Tasha, she wasn't in control. Loki took her over too."

"How do you know that?"

"I remember taking her to the base after we found her in the desert. She was frantic when she found out what Loki was doing and he used that glow stick to shut her up."

"You can't see her without seeing a doctor first."

"I'll be fine after I pop a few pills."

"The doctor will have to be the one to decide that."

Barton groaned loudly before laying back on the cot. He had been out for hours before he woke feeling sicker than he ever had in his life. Natasha was already there and the first thing he asked about was the sling she was wearing. She definitely looked worse for wear, and he had no idea what was going on. It didn't take long for some of his memories to return, though it was painful to try. A lot of it seemed business as usual, except for Loki and that woman. He could easily visualize her blue eyes and wide smile. He asked Natasha what happened to her.

"Fury's been questioning her, but she's not giving up a lot of information."

"Honestly, I wouldn't talk either. Not until I was face to face with someone I trusted."

Xx

Fury had removed the bars and allowed her to sit up on the table after she told him her name, but that was the last allowance he gave her until he got some real info he could work with. They had yet to feed her, she was not allowed to sleep, and she was still in the SHIELD suit. After several hours, Fury was watching her pace back and forth while twirling her hair between her fingers.

"Sit down and answer my question Wilhelmina."

She kept pacing. "I cannot tell you where he is!"

"Why not?"

"I can't remember what he told me."

"You better think harder if you plan on getting out of this room."

Her fingers stopped twirling and she stopped pacing. She looked up at the ceiling and screamed for perhaps the twentieth time that day:

"HEIMDALL! HEIMDALL PLEASE HELP ME!"

She had stopped screaming for Loki and instead screamed the odd name at the top of her lungs. At first her behavior astounded him, but now he was getting annoyed. Was this woman really from Asgard, or was she crazy? Maybe she had gone with Loki willingly.

While she continued to scream, Fury responded to the voice in his ear that asked if he could step outside to speak with Barton. When he exited the room he found Agent Hill and Clint watching the security monitors. The awakened agent immediately straightened to address his boss.

"Director Fury."

"Agent Barton, glad you're back; though I am surprised to see you after that nasty hit Romanoff gave you."

"I'm good sir; I passed all mental and physical evaluations."

"Then what did you need from me?"

They could all hear Wilhelmina screaming inside the room, so Barton decided to get straight to the point. "Permission to speak with the woman sir?"

Fury looked at him for a long while before he spoke. "You both were taken by Loki, so she might trust you more than anyone else here. Do you think you can calm her down enough to answer some questions?"

"Yes sir, I think I can."

As soon as Barton entered the room, Wilhelmina ran to the other side of the table. Her body was tense and there was an almost primal look in her eyes. She was terrified.

He held up both hands. "Hey calm down. I just want to talk."

"Where is Loki?"

"I don't know. I'm still trying to remember everything that happened."

She stilled at his words. "Were you possessed as well?"

"Yes."

"Just you?"

"Everyone you saw in that lab and on my team were under his control."

His heart sank when he saw her face twist in misery. She sank to the floor, heaving. He slowly walked over and knelt in front of her. When he reached for her, she did not move away. She remained still as he put his hands on either side of her face, tilting her head up to meet her eyes.

"Wilhelmina, you are the only one I can remember clearly. He told me to protect you, and I will do so until we can get you home. This is my choice to do this now, not Loki's." He saw her shoulders relax. "We're free and he can't hurt us anymore. I won't let him." He used his thumbs to wipe the tears from her face. "Please trust me."

She took a deep breath, "I trust you. " Barton bent lower to scoop her up in his arms before setting her down on the table, but when she refused to let him go, he kept his arms around her and pulled her in closer.

In the next room, Fury and Agent Hill looked at the monitors with shock written on their faces. Fury spoke without taking his eyes off the screen. "Get Stark and Rogers; she's ready to talk."

Xx

Wilhelmina sat at a long table, surrounded by the Avengers, except of course for Thor and Bruce Banner. Though she was comfortable next to Clint, she was quickly discovering how unfortunate it was to have Tony Stark seated on her other side.

When she was asked to describe her relationship with Loki, Tony's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Woah woah, wait a sec. So you're saying that reindeer games is your ex?!"

"My what?"

"He's your ex-boyfriend or (using an overdone British accent) your former lover."

Wilhelmina winced at his mockery. "Yes, we separated more than a year ago."

"And you guys didn't _rekindle_ anything while on the base?"

"No. I slept in his quarters but I would not let him to touch me." It was the shame of it that kept her from telling the truth. What kind of woman would sleep with a murderer? Apparently she would, and do it many more times after that. She felt like she would never be clean again; he had ruined her.

"Got a thing for bad boys?" Tony's inappropriate question snapped her out of her self-hate, and she jumped when she saw how close he was to her.

"Not particularly; Loki has not always been this way."

He was clearly giving her a once over. "That's too bad. I can be pretty naughty myself. How old did you say you were, because you don't look a day over twenty five."

Clint narrowed his eyes at him while Natasha yelled across the table. "Tony, you're shameless."

He responded with, "It's one of my better qualities." before winking at her.

That was all Steve could take. "Hey! Let's focus. Loki is out there planning something big and we gotta stop him."

As everyone began talking over each other, Wilhelmina gave Natasha a small smile for saving her from Tony, but the look she received in return was ice cold. Clearly she hadn't won over everyone.

A snippet of the conversation caused her attention to shift. "My suit is trashed but I have a prototype waiting in New York."

Something clicked in her mind. "New York?"

"Yea, my new tower's there."

She had heard of this place before, and when she made her discovery, she shot up from her chair.

"I was supposed to go to New York with Erik!"

All eyes were on her when Fury spoke. "Do you mean Erik Selvig?"

"I'm not sure of his surname but I am certain I was to accompany him to New York with the tesseract."

Barton finished her thought, the memory crashing over him. "But you came here with me instead."

Fury continued. "Where in New York?"

"I don't know."

There was silence for an uncomfortable amount of time before the tension was cut with Tony's bitter laugh. "I know where he is."

"Tell us."

"Think about it, Nick. Loki is a full tilt diva, and if he wants an audience, what better place to show off then on the tallest building in the city?" When he saw all the blank stares he shouted. "That douche is in my tower!"

There was a flurry of voices talking over other voices again. Steve commanded everyone's attention by slamming a fist on the table.

"Alright! We need a plan of attack before we head out."

Barton was the first to speak up. "I've got one: we find him, and I put an arrow through his eye."

Wilhelmina turned to him. "And one through his heart."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

Pacing was quickly becoming a habit as Wilhelmina walked the floors of the control room in the SHIELD helicarrier. She, along with everyone else aboard the aerial ship was watching the monitors that captured footage of what was happening on the ground in New York. There were countless images of catastrophic destruction and the death toll was steadily rising.

As she continued to pace, the only thing that gave her a smidge of comfort was Clint. She had escorted him to his airship and was caught off guard when he had leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. It was a bold move and he did not wait for her reaction before climbing into the ship. At the time, she couldn't bring herself to overanalyze the gesture. So instead, she chose to enjoy the warm feeling that crept over her.

Now she wished that feeling could have lasted throughout this mess. Though she shared the horror of everyone around her, she felt that she was experiencing a deeper turmoil. The person that was the cause for all this unimaginable chaos was someone that she was in love with, someone she had been intimate with. There was once a point in her life where she would have abandoned all she knew to be with Loki. But now she was ashamed to say she ever knew him. Suddenly living as a noblewoman did not seem like such a bad idea, and she wished she could take it all back and start over.

Xx

Loki was in the middle of dozens of agents who were escorting his battered body to yet another cell, one he was sure would be monitored much more closely. As soon as they arrived, he saw Wilhelmina standing in a crowd of SHIELD agents. He had a talent for always being able to spot her out, even if she was in a sea of people.

It had been less than twenty four hours since he last saw her, but the way his heart raced made him feel like it had been weeks. When she saw him she did not break away from the crowd to greet him. Instead, her eyes shifted to look behind him, and then she ran.

He turned his head to follow her, and immediately wished he hadn't.

Wilhelmina had practically leapt into Thor's arms. Loki could tell by the way her shoulders shook that she was crying and to his amazement, he witnessed a few tears streak down Thor's face as well. He had never seen his Mina embrace another man and he was overcome with anger, though his fractured body would not let him move. He could do nothing but allow his body to be dragged to his cell.

And for the moment, he was forgotten.

Xx

She thought she would faint. Thor was alive, ALIVE! That fact ran through her head over and over as she tightened her arms around her friend.

"I was sick with guilt."

She smiled when she heard him laugh. "I am no god if I can be killed so easily, Mina."

"Is it over?"

"Yes. This war is over, and now its leader must be punished."

"How?"

She saw his face darken. "Loki must face Asgardian justice."

"When I was freed from Loki's control I called for Heimdall, but without the bifrost I am not sure how we can return home."

"Do not worry about it now. We must all rest and come together in the morning." He looked over her head, sensing they were being watched. "It is good to see you Mina, but it looks as though Barton is waiting for you."

Wilhelmina turned to see Barton standing close by, politely waiting his turn to see her. He was an absolute mess of cuts, bruises, and dirt and she gave Thor one last hug before walking over to him. She stopped a few feet away.

"You look terrible."

The look of shock on his face did not last long before she threw her arms around him as he lifted her off her feet, tightening the embrace.

After a while, he put her down, but kept his hands at her waist. "Tony wants to get shawarma after Loki is secure."

"What is shawarma?"

"I think its food, wanna come along?"

"No, thank you. It has been a long day and I still haven't recovered fully."

"Alright, get some rest. I'll check on you when I get back."

He kissed her cheek for the second time that day before heading out, but this time, he had brushed some of her hair behind her ear. As she watched her protector rejoin the rest of the team, she knew that she should definitely get some rest, but not before paying someone a visit first.

Xx

"_Performance issues, one in every five. Wilhelmina never complained about it right?"_

Even while sitting defeated in a cell that quip still got to him. Thinking back on it, he should have ripped the fool to shreds with his bare hands instead of merely throwing him through a window.

Loki's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. When he heard the door unlock and open, he didn't look up before saying. "I wondered when you'd come."

Wilhelmina's soft voice was his oasis. "You were expecting me?"

"Of course; you are the only person I truly wanted to see."

She remained close to the door. "Why did you do this Loki?"

He looked at her and saw her arms folded across her chest, and anger in her eyes. "I told you why."

"Tell me again, I want to understand."

"I am a king, and a king is nothing without his kingdom."

"You did this for power?"

"It is my birthright Mina."

"Do not call me that! My name is Wilhelmina."

He sneered at her. "I know what your name is, and I will call you whatever I want."

She was not swayed by him in the least. "I will not stay to hear any other name."

Loki leaned back against the wall, his voice returning to calm. "Defiance was never your strong suit."

"You are _not_ my master. I ceased being yours a year ago."

"If you are not mine, then why did you come to Midgard? Why did you come to my bed? Why visit me in this cell?"

"I did care for you once. And though we are no longer lovers, you still have a family that loves you."

"They are not my family."

"How can you reject us all so easily, as if we mean nothing to you at all?"

He was getting tired of her questions. "You were a good fuck, nothing more."

Again she did not react as he thought she would. "You told me you loved me."

"I never said that."

"You did. Right before you used the tesseract on me you said you loved me. I remember that quite clearly."

He laughed. "I lied."

Finally, she could take no more. Wilhelmina stomped across the room and bent down to bring her face very close to his. "You have destroyed every good thing in your life. You have shamed everyone that ever said they cared for you. You have allowed your pride to ruin you, all because you could not be a king! You are a monster."

He was on his feet in a flash, chains clanging. His sudden movement shocked her into taking steps away from him, but he walked forward, narrowing the distance between them.

"A monster!? You don't even know what a real monster is!"

Wilhelmina left the room and slammed the door in his face. She could hear him screaming at her through the door as she walked down the hall.

Xx

After an extremely awkward group outing for shawarma, Clint was almost excited to get back to SHIELD. Though it wasn't the waiting pain meds and a bed that caused him to hurry back, it was Wilhelmina.

He quickly showered and addressed his wounds before heading over to her assigned room. He lifted his hand to knock but stopped when he heard her sobbing. He reached for the doorknob and tried to let himself in, but the door only opened a few inches before it stopped. Her body was blocking the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me. You okay?"

"Yes, I am fine."

"Bullshit, I'm coming in."

Wilhelmina sighed before standing up to let Clint in. They both sat on her bed and did not speak; and her sniffles were the only sounds in the room.

After a while, he had to speak. "You went to see him."

"Yes."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No.

They were quiet again but the silence ended when her sobs returned.

"I cannot go home Clint! Every person in Asgard must know what happened now. They will shame me and I will never be able to leave my house again!"

He was looking at her intensely, as if his next words would harm her in some way. "Well, what if you stayed here?"

Her tears stopped and she looked at him, completely shocked.

He spoke quickly. "Just till things cool down. I mean, this place isn't so bad though I'm sure it can't compete with Asgard. But we've got tons of other cities that aren't messed up...and some that are but we don't have to go there."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "You want to show me these places? Show me the Earth?"

"Not the whole planet, but some of the highlights."

She stared at him for a short while before scooting closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder. "Alright."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: This chapter was extremely difficult to write for many reasons but I'm glad it's done because the smut has returned! I really missed it. **

Chapter 22:

The weeks passed by in a blur. As SHIELD continued to work on cleaning and covering up the wreck that was Manhattan, Clint and Wilhelmina explored parts of New York that had managed to survive Loki's attack. Their time together consisted of many events that Clint found both amusing and a little frightening.

When they finally went to an enormous store to get her out of that SHIELD uniform:

"Are all of these for me?"

"Um, no. You actually have to buy the clothes first."

"Fine, but no more dresses."

He introduced her to Earth cuisine:

"What is this? I love it!"

He laughed. "It's called a milkshake."

While walking in the park:

"AH! What is that thing?!"

"It's a dog!"

At a popular bar:

"What is that sound?"

"Its music. "

"Really, it's horrible."

"How's the drink?"

"It's fine. Do they have milkshakes here?"

And of course, the wonders of fast food:

"You're saying that a man will come to my home with food if I ask him to?"

"Delivery fast food."

"Do they deliver milkshakes as well?"

When she wasn't out and about with Clint, she spent her time trying not to think about Loki. Thus, she drove herself mad when he would always creep back into her mind. How was he coping? Was he afraid? She knew she shouldn't care, but every time she thought that she found herself caring again. How was she supposed to show Clint she appreciated him when she could hardly go five minutes without wondering about her "ex"?

Xx

"We depart soon brother."

"Oh good, this place wasn't torturous enough. Bring on the fresh hell of Asgard."

"You are incapable of sincerity."

"You always say that."

Thor sighed before taking a seat in front of Loki. "I admit that I am unsure of what our father has planned for you. I know that he is furious, but since you are a prince-"

"Stop referring to Odin as my father. He is your father, not mine."

"Loki-"

"Shut up Thor!"

"I tire of this attitude, _brother_! I am not the person you should turn your anger to. "

"Who then?"

"Whoever forced you into this mess."

"Forced? This was my choice, all of it."

"You would choose to betray us all? To nearly destroy Mina?"

He closed his eyes. "Don't…"

He saw the pain in his Loki's face. "Do you miss her?"

"Every second."

"Then I must tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"About Barton."

Xx

The day was getting ever closer to when the brothers would depart for home. Wilhelmina tried to push the thought to the back of her mind as she continued to read.

"Thank goodness the orphan Harry has Hermione for a companion, or else he truly would be lost."

Clint spoke from across the room. "Huh?"

"Midgardian literature is fascinating."

He looked over at her. "Watching you makes me want to pick up a book, but then something interesting comes on TV and I forget about it."

Wilhelmina shrugged as she put the book down and walked passed Clint and into his kitchen. His apartment was extremely small with just a bed, a couch, a table with chairs, and a television. She loved it as soon as she saw it.

She opened the fridge and reached for one of the many milkshakes he had stocked for her.

He continued to sort through his arrows as he spoke to her over his shoulder. "That's your third one. You're crazy about those things and now I'm jealous of a milkshake. It's weird. "

She took a long swig from the straw before speaking. "I cannot stop drinking them. It's a bizarre craving."

He set his arrows down and strode over to her. When he was close enough he smiled and brushed some milk from her lips before sucking it off his finger. The stirring she felt between her legs surprised her, but thankfully Clint interrupted her thoughts. "So, I have some news."

"I hope it's good news."

"It'll put a damper on our travel plans."

"What is it?"

"My vacation time ended sooner than expected. Things have gone to shit in Moscow and they've called me in."

Her face fell. "Oh." She had no idea where Moscow was. "How long will you be away?"

"At least two weeks."

"When are you leaving?"

He sighed. "That's the thing, I actually leave tomorrow morning. It's chaos over there."

He took her hand. "We'll go to London as soon as this job's done, I promise."

They spent a few more hours watching TV before she decided she should go back to SHIELD.

She closed the door behind her but only took a few steps before she heard it open again. Clint was turning her around to face him and their eyes met briefly before he kissed her. It was a deep, sensual kiss. It was a _good _kiss, so much so that when he pulled away she almost forgot to breathe again.

"I couldn't let you leave without doing that."

She looked up at him and her eyes explored his face. She took a deep breath before pulling him in for another kiss.

This time he had to force himself to pull away. "Maybe we shouldn't do this in the hall."

"Right." And she grabbed his hand and led him back inside his apartment. As soon as the door shut she was on him again and he responded by lifting her up and carrying her to the couch.

She closed her eyes as his lips traveled over her neck, his light kisses causing her to shiver. She bit her lip when his hand slipped under her shirt and cupped her breast. Her toes curled when he nipped at her collarbone, and a moan escaped when she felt his hand run down her stomach and down the front of her pants.

Just when she thought she couldn't take the intensity any more, he sat up, out of breath. "I'm sorry, but is this happening too fast? I want to do this but I don't want you to think this is why I asked you over."

"I would never think that. And I want this too."

She stood up from the couch and Clint watched in awe as Wilhelmina slowly removed her clothes.

She felt like her skin was on fire. Clint was not the first man she had revealed herself to, but he made her feel like she was brand new. When the last of her clothes hit the floor she bent down to remove his pants while he removed his shirt. She kept her breathing steady as she straddled his hips. She used her hand to guide him to her entrance and he finally filled her, causing them both to moan loudly.

Wilhelmina bit her lip again and gripped the back of the couch. Clint moaned into her neck when she pushed her hips down further.

"More." It was all she could muster to say, but he knew what she wanted.

Keeping her legs wrapped around his waist, Clint gracefully moved them from the couch and onto the floor. Wilhelmina was on her back as he thrust into her faster and harder, but it wasn't enough.

She put a hand to his chest for him to stop. She slipped from underneath him and positioned herself on all fours. He didn't move till she looked back at him with an encouraging smile, and he quickly gripped her hips and thrust into her again. After a while, this wasn't enough either.

"Pull my hair." He did, but not quite hard enough. She made up for it by sinking fingers between her legs to massage her clit.

That move was all it took for his thrusts to falter and she felt him spill into her as he came. Clint moaned out his orgasm with Wilhelmina following close behind.

He fell away from her and on his back. She joined him on the cold floor.

Clint was still trying to catch his breath. "Wow you're rough. I was not expecting that."

She didn't have the heart to tell him it was what she was used to.

Xx

As soon as she entered his cell, she could feel that the air between them had changed. Loki had changed. When she looked into his eyes, she did not see pride or anger. Today there was only pain.

He was shocked at how she'd changed in what he guessed was a couple weeks. She no longer looked anything like an Asgardian: she wore pants and a shirt that looked more suited for a man than a woman. He had to school his features not to frown. "I'm glad you're here."

"Are you? I really don't know why I'm here."

"To say goodbye."

"What?"

"By the way you're dressed, it seems like you're staying."

"Yes, I've chosen to stay."

He tried not to yell. "Barton must be thrilled. He won the war, and now he's won you."

"I was never a prize to be won, Loki."

He rolled his eyes. "It won't be easy for me, once I return to Asgard."

"It's what you deserve. You have hurt so many people."

"And what happens to those who have hurt me? I will rot in a dark cell while they continue to walk around without consequence."

"Who has hurt you; a prince who has never wanted for anything in his life?"

"I am a prince but that does not mean I am always treated as such."

She remained silent.

"I have always been overlooked. And when I wasn't, I was ridiculed."

She remembered the hateful looks the court gave him. "Why?"

He threw his hands in the air. "I'm different. I am unlike any Asgardian in the realm. I'm sure you've noticed that."

"It is what drew me to you."

"If I were truly Asgardian, I would be happy to hear you say that. But alas, I am not."

"I don't understand."

"Do you remember the stories you were told about Jotuns?"

"Of course. They are hideous, evil creatures from a barren and frozen wasteland."

He winced. "I was told the same stories, and I believed them. It made knowing the truth of my lineage that much harder to accept."

When she continued to give him a look of confusion, he took a deep breath, and finally told her the truth. "I am the monster from the stories, Wilhelmina. I am a creature of Jotunheim."

"Be truthful Loki. You look nothing like a Jotun."

He pointed at his face. "Don't let this fool you. This is Odin's magic."

She shook her head. "So, you discover that you have been lied to your entire life and that you really are a monster. Then you thought it would be wise to try to destroy Jotunheim and then try to take over Midgard? You expect me to believe that? Are you really so selfish!?"

He did not respond, but she saw that he had lowered his head and begun to shake. The shaking became more violent the more time went by, and her breath quickened when she saw the pale of his skin slowly turn blue. The color deepened as ridges traveled over his skin and his body grew slightly larger. When he looked up, she was no longer looking at a face she knew. Her eyes widened with horror as they met with crimson ones.

His voice was deeper, huskier. "This is who I truly am, this monster that I have hidden from you."

She screamed, unbelievable fear towering over her. This was the monster that kept her awake at night as a child and now it was standing before her. And still, this was much worse than she could have ever imagined. As a child she never considered that the monster would be her lover, her friend. She wanted to fall through the floor.

Loki managed to raise his voice above her screams.

"Go to your mortal, and never return here! Never look upon this face again!"

She immediately bolted from the room, leaving the door wide open. He made no attempt to escape. Instead he rose to slam the door closed with such finality that it shook the walls.

Then he stood there. He stood in a void of the deepest despair he had yet experienced. The tears came quickly and he did not try to pull them back.

He wept. For the first time since he was a child, he wept. He did not care who saw him. He wept for himself, for the lies he was told for countless years. He wept for his brother, who tried in vain to bring him to his senses. He wept for the woman he loved down to his very bones, and how he had to push her away into the arms of the enemy.

He could feel Odin's magic pulling the veil up around his skin. The color drifted away and his eyes returned to brilliant green, and still he wept. He wept until his head felt like it would burst from pain and until he could hardly stand.

When he finally quieted he was spent. And Loki fell into troubled sleep.

Xx

Wilhelmina passed many people on her way back to her room. She knew they saw her fear and she didn't care. As soon as she entered her room she went into her bathroom and turned on the shower.

She felt numb as she removed her clothes and even hot water couldn't force her to feel much of anything, except to feel dirty. She felt filthy for letting him touch her, for letting him ever be inside her. She almost doubled over with the weight of it all.

She scrubbed and scrubbed until her skin was pink and scratched, and still she felt dirty.

So she scrubbed some more. And when she was finally convinced that she was clean, she got out of the shower and didn't bother to dry herself off before climbing into bed.

Though she felt like she had erased him from her skin, she would never be rid of the piece of him that was slowly growing inside her.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: This chapter contains sexual content. **

Chapter 23:

Wilhelmina was dreaming again.

It was their last meeting, and it always began the same way:

"I really don't know why I'm here."

"To say goodbye."

"I don't want to say goodbye to you."

Loki slowly walked over to her. She let her eyes take as much of him in as she could before he kissed her.

She knew she was dreaming, yet every time she had this dream she was unable to resist him. She ran her hands over his chest and tangled her fingers in his long hair.

Suddenly she was naked and lying on the table with Loki slowly trailing wet kisses up her body. When he finally reached her lips she moaned as she felt him sheath himself inside her. Her moans became louder as he fucked her on the cold table. That fact that the security cameras were picking up the whole scene brought her peak up faster as Loki lifted her leg above his hip to sink into her deeper. She was so close to losing control, and when she felt herself begin to tumble over, her body went cold. She was very cold, painfully cold. The intense pleasure was immediately replaced with shivering. When she saw his pale skin slowly turn blue, she tried to scream, but couldn't. Her eyes followed the trail of blue all the way up to his face, and she saw his green eyes once again turn red. She still could not scream. It was not until he smiled down at her and she saw rows of jagged, bloodied teeth that she was finally able to shriek.

The fear tore her from her dream, and when she woke she was still shivering. She shook even while sweat ran down her back.

Xx

She was not there when Thor and Loki finally departed for Asgard. She could hardly stand to see Loki in her dreams; she would not subject herself to seeing him in person.

Shortly after the brothers left, she had a private meeting with Fury to discuss the terms of her stay on Earth, terms that she thought were more than reasonable, as long as she stayed out of trouble. She reminded him that the facilitator of all her troublemaking was now countless miles away but Fury was quick to tell her that there was a possibility that Loki would return to face punishment for his crimes. Though she agreed he deserved it, the thought of standing under the same sky with him again made her uncomfortable.

She had just exited Fury's office when she was approached by Tony. Overtime the awkwardness had dissipated between them to become a budding friendship and Tony picked up Wilhelmina's stride as they walked through the halls.

"So I was thinking that you should stay at my place. You know, until your boyfriend comes back and sets you up somewhere."

"Are you sure _your_ girlfriend won't mind?"

"Please, she knows we're just friends. And you guys are cool with each other."

It was true; Pepper was the first female friend Wilhelmina ever had. As soon as Clint left the women had been almost inseparable. Her new friend had shown her the more feminine side of Earth: they had visited nail salons and went shopping for clothes that did not make her look like a young man. She felt comfortable talking with her, and had even gone so far as to reveal **some** of the trauma she had gone through with Loki.

Wilhelmina readily agreed to stay in Tony's tower and in a matter of days felt completely at home, especially once the initial shock that came with the amount of technology he had in his home wore off. Jarvis was no exception.

Xx

A week after moving into Tony's place, Wilhelmina was slowly shuffling into the kitchen when she smelled something that was less than pleasing to her stomach. She walked over to the stove and looked down at what looked like human organs cooking in a pot.

"Tony?" She swallowed. "What is this?"

She watched his top half emerge from deep inside the fridge. "Don't tell me you haven't had juevos rancheros?! Guess I can't be too surprised. Want some?"

She looked back at the stove and it was all too much. She said nothing but clapped a hand over her mouth and sprinted to the nearest bathroom.

Tony was in shock as he watched her flee from the kitchen. "Is my cooking that bad?"

From a nearby table, Pepper spoke without looking up from her magazine. "Yes, it is that bad."

Xx

The next day, Tony decided to try again.

"Okay, since you have rejected solid food and I'm still a little pissed about the rancheros, I made you some juice."

It was a sickly green color and again the smell was nothing pleasant. But, not wanting to be rude, she braved a swig of the drink. Her face twisted in disgust. "What is this?!"

"I know it's not your beloved milkshakes, but it's healthy. There's some lettuce, some apples, cucumbers, and other green stuff the book said I should put in it."

Wilhelmina calmly set down the glass and quickly left the room.

"She's gonna puke isn't she?"

This time, Jarvis was there to respond. "It would seem so."

Later on that day Pepper came into her room to find her lying in bed under a mountain of blankets.

When she peaked under the pile of linens, she found Wilhelmina bundled up in a sweater and sweats.

"What the hell Mina?"

She looked back at her with tired eyes. "I cannot go to the mall today. I think I'm sick."

"Yeah, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. Still throwing up?"

"Yes, usually when I first wake up."

"Ugh huh and do you have to pee a lot?"

"I've needed to go for a while; I just couldn't leave the bed again."

Pepper grinned sheepishly at her before pulling the covers back.

"C'mon hon, we're leaving."

"Where are we going?"

"We're taking a little trip to the pharmacy around the corner."

Xx

Wilhelmina looked down at the small stick, her brows furrowed together. "This cannot be right."

"We've gone through four of these things."

"We must get another test."

"I know this is a shock, but all these tests are coming up the same: you're pregnant."

Wilhelmina sank to the bathroom floor and held her head in her hands. She had only slept with Clint once. Though she was not so naïve; she knew that sleeping with someone once was enough to conceive.

The two women sat in silence for a while with Pepper draping her arm over her friend's shoulder. When she finally spoke up, her voice was full of concern.

"You should see a doctor. I can set up an appointment for you and we can go together if you want."

Within hours, Wilhelmina found herself in a hospital for the first time. She was not surprised to find that it was nothing like Asgardian healing rooms, and she found little comfort in the white walls, polished grey floors, and the constant buzzing and beeping of the machinery around her. She REALLY did not like having to lift her blouse so a man could rub some strange jelly on her stomach. While he performed the ultrasound, she refused to look at the monitor; instead she looked at Pepper, who sat next to her with an encouraging smile.

"It looks like you're almost a month along."

She couldn't help herself. "A month?! But Clint and I…"

The doctor saw the somber looks the women shared and decided to give them some privacy.

Pepper spoke as soon as the door shut behind him. "Were you with someone other than Clint?"

"Just Loki."

She sighed loudly. "What a fucking mess. I would congratulate you, but you and I both know this isn't an ideal situation."

They returned to Stark tower in sour moods, the exact opposite of what Tony was feeling as he all but ran over to them.

By the excited look on his face and the way he looked at her, Wilhelmina could tell that he knew. She turned to stare daggers at Pepper but was cut off before she could yell at her.

"You've got a little baby hawk in there!"

She tried to stay calm. "Tony-"

"I knew you guys were into each other but damn! Have you told him yet?"

"Tony-"

"No, no, wait till he gets here. I wanna see the look on his face when you tell him his life is over. "

It was Pepper that finally got through to him. "TONY!"

"What?"

Wilhelmina braced herself. It was time to tell the truth. "It isn't his."

"What?"

"He is not the child's father."

"Wow, you don't strike me as the two-timing type."

"I was never unfaithful to Clint!"

"Then what the hell? Who else is there?"

She continued to look at him till he pieced it together on his own.

"Oh shit…you liar! Fuck, I knew you and reindeer games hooked up."

Thankfully Pepper stepped in. "Relax Tony, that's in the past now! There's a baby to think about."

The couple continued their heated conversation and did not even realize that Wilhelmina had retreated to her room. They were still arguing as she wept into her sheets.

A baby…she could hardly comprehend it. She had always been so concerned about herself and her future that she never considered having a child, much less having one with Loki. She immediately pitied the poor creature. It was the worst of luck to have parents like them.

A thought dawned on her and she sat bolt upright. She had been so overwhelmed about the pregnancy that she had actually managed to forget who the father was. Who he _really_ was.

Loki was a frost giant.

She put a hand to her still flat stomach as nausea returned one more. There was a monster inside of her; inside her womb she was harboring evil. That day, she made the first of many difficult decisions that she now faced. She continued to stay in bed until it was well into the night. She then crept through the tower and exited on her way to a nearby park that she prayed would be deserted.

When she stopped in the center of a cluster of trees she closed her eyes and quietly spoke to the sky.

"Heimdall: I understand why you were silent before, but I truly need your help now. I must speak with the queen." She took a deep breath. "It is important that I speak with her because I am carrying Loki's child."

She waited for over an hour and had risen to leave when she heard her voice.

"Is it true?"

Wilhelmina turned and tears immediately sprang up in her eyes when she beheld Frigga.

Her queen spoke louder. "Is Loki the sire?"

"Yes."

A look of deep sadness transformed her features and her shoulders sagged. "Oh child." It was all she said before she rushed over to her and wrapped her arms around the now sobbing Wilhelmina. Soon, both women were crying in the empty park.

Frigga still held her tightly while she whispered to her. "It is your decision whether or not you choose to see this through. But I beg you; please listen to what your heart tells you."

She did not respond to her plea, instead she said: "How is he?"

"He is angrier than I have ever seen him."

"May I see him?"

"It is dangerous for him to return. If the mortals detect that he has arrived I know they will try to harm him."

"Please my queen he needs to know; and I must be the one to tell him."


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Two chapters in one day! Woot woot! **

Chapter 24:

How long had it been since he breathed fresh air that was not tainted with the stink of sweat and blood?

Loki clung to the door of his prison, the chain around his neck pulling painfully as he stretched to look through the tiny window at the top of the door. He saw nothing but a winding staircase that led out of the prison and into the world he had never learned to cherish.

When he could no longer stand the pain around his neck he pulled back and sat in his usual corner. He had been stripped of his armor and was dressed in dirty, torn clothing that was not even suitable for the lowliest of peasants. His hair and the bags beneath his eyes continued to grow and his feet were black from walking the filthy floor of his new home.

He barely ate, he barely drank. He never slept.

Upon his arrival, he was taken to the main hall that was empty except for Odin and Frigga. His mother had run to him and threw her arms around him, sobbing into his neck. She cursed him for making them think he was dead for so long. If he were not restrained, he would have hugged his mother and held onto her for dear life, the way he used to when he was a child.

Odin would not look at him. When he spoke, his voice was filled with a hard disappointment. He too cursed Loki, but not for staying away, but for embarrassing all of Asgard, his family, and himself. He was then stripped of all his power and sentenced to time in the dungeons until a proper punishment could be determined. He was almost grateful to be away from the tears of his mother and the exhaustion of Odin.

It seemed like that all happened so long ago. Time had slowed down for him once he entered his cell. He knew he should be resting and preparing himself for punishment and was moving towards his bed when he heard muffled voices outside his cell door.

He stood in the middle of the room as the door swung open, and his heart sank when Lord Val walked in accompanied by two guards.

The man had a wicked grin on his face. "Our young prince, retuned to us at last. You have been a naughty boy Loki."

"Val, it's always such a pleasure to be in your presence."

"I wish I could say the same, but I do not often share company with vermin."

"What do you want?"

"Revenge." With that, the two guards moved to take hold of Loki's arms, keeping them upright and still.

Val chuckled; he was beside himself with joy. "I have dreamed of scenes such as this, but the crown had protected you well Loki."

The prince was not able to respond before Val delivered a vicious blow to his stomach. It was painful, but he made no sound.

"The Allfather has taken your power as well!? Brilliant. "

The second blow across the face caused him to grunt loudly and after several more hits the guards had to hold his body upright. Val brought his face close to his.

"Beg my forgiveness you disgusting animal!"

Loki lifted his head. He spat out the blood that had pooled in his mouth before looking Lord Val in his eyes. His voice was calm. "One day, I will kill you. No more tricks Val. I will rip the flesh from your bones and-"

Yet another hit. "Quiet fool."

The lord stood back and flexed his aching knuckles. "It is too bad your woman was not returned as well. I would have had that little bitch, and shown her what a real man is."

With all the strength he had, Loki threw both men from him and took hold of Lord Val, trying his best to strangle him.

The guards struggled to pull him from the suffocating man, beating him until he finally fell away.

Val was still on the floor with a hand to his throat. He gagged and coughed, all the while cursing Loki. "You will burn for this Odinson! You will never see daylight again!"

Loki lay limp on the floor, his vision blurred from agony. He saw the guards help Val out of the cell before securing the door. He could still hear the man coughing when darkness took over.

Xx

Days later, he was in misery again when Thor came to his cell.

"I told you not to come here."

"You cannot keep me away."

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Why are you here?"

"I am here to take you to Midgard."

Loki laughed dryly before wincing and holding his side. "Have the mortals finally mustered the courage to persecute me? Am I now to be handed back and forth between realms? "

"Wilhelmina has asked for you."

He was on his feet in a flash, disregarding the pain that shot through him.

"What's happened? Is she alright?"

Thor held up his hands. "I am not sure but I am to take you to her."

"What of Odin? Does he know?"

"Yes, though it is mother that convinced him to let you go."

"For how long?"

"Three days."

"Only three?"

"Yes, brother."

"Very well, when do we leave?"

"Whenever you feel strong enough for the journey."

"I'm ready."

Xx

Thor was right. The trip to Midgard had left him exhausted and he tried not to fall over as soon as they arrived.

The two made their way to Stark's tower, and Loki silently realized that he was nervous. After what he had thought would be their final meeting, he was unsure of how Wilhelmina would receive him. He was now clean and dressed in his royal clothing and his hair had been cut; but underneath he was covered in ugly bruises that never had the chance to heal before he was beaten again. Val was smart enough to stay away from injuring his face too much, so as not to rouse any suspicion.

He straightened as much as he could and held his head high as they arrived at the tower. Both men were surprised that they were not immediately swarmed with SHIELD agents and their weapons.

In fact, no one greeted them at all; accept for a voice that spoke to them from above.

"Good evening. Miss Wilhelmina is waiting for Loki on the twentieth floor. Thor may see Mr. Stark in the penthouse."

The brothers shared a quick glance with each other before heading towards the elevators. The long ride up was spent in comfortable silence until Thor spoke up.

"I am glad you agreed to come back here."

"It is nothing but curiosity."

He laughed. "And because you missed her."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"You missed her Loki."

"I did not Thor."

"…Yes you did."

"SHUT UP!"

The doors swing open and Loki stomped out of the elevator and down the hall. He did not see the elder brother silently laughing behind him.

Xx

Wilhelmina sat on the couch in her room nervously twirling her hair between her fingers. She had spent last night and all day convincing herself that she was not crazy for inviting him here. She was near to the point of panic when she heard a soft knock on her door.

She stood up shakily and walked over. With her hand on the handle, she breathed deeply before opening the door.

There he was. She hated the way her heart still fluttered when she saw him and she mentally shook herself.

"Hi."

"Hello Wilhelmina."

She moved to the side so that he could enter her room and she gestured for him to sit but he declined. She knew he would.

She continued to stand in front of him while he looked at her expectantly. She looked at him as if he were a snake coiled and waiting to strike. It took a considerable amount of courage for her to begin.

"Thank you for coming."

"How are you?"

She blinked. She did not expect him to care. "I am well. Yourself?"

His face did not change. "Beaten and starved."

She looked away from him, completely embarrassed by his admission; though she would not say that she was sorry for him. She would not delay this any longer, and there was no easy way of saying it.

"I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I…I'm pregnant."

At first, he was confused. But then he was filled with an almost unbearable anger.

"I have traveled across the universe to be here so you can tell me that you are having that fucking mortal's child?!"

Her mouth hung open in shock. "The child is yours you insufferable lunatic!"

He froze. "Excuse me?"

"The child is yours. I have been pregnant for over a month."

Now he had to sit down, and as he did, he could find no useful words. "Oh my gods. You're very sure?"

"Yes. I had a similar reaction."

He looked up at her. He felt numb. "I'm a frost giant."

"I know that."

"Are you able to carry a Jotun child?"

"I have yet to decide whether I will be carrying this child to term."

He was up on his feet again. "You are thinking of destroying it?"

"Yes, the Earth healer says that I can still terminate the pregnancy if I want."

"Do I not have a say in this?"

"You are not the one that must carry the child."

"But it is _our_ child."

"Why are you saying this? You want to keep it?"

"I am not saying that, I am only saying that I should be included in any decision you choose to make about this situation."

"This 'situation' as you call it just happens to be a monster. No one here knows what to expect from this. I'm not entirely sure Asgardian healers know."

"And we will not know unless we see them. When I return to Asgard, you will come with me. We can get you to a proper healer."

"Do not give out orders Loki! You know I cannot go home without facing hostility!"

He stepped closer to her, heavy sincerity in his voice. "I will protect you."

She scoffed at him. "Protect me? From your cell? I doubt that."

"Perhaps Odin will be willing to make arrangements; at least until the child is born… should we choose to go through with this."

"And then what Loki? You return to your cell and I am left to raise this thing alone? Do you honestly want every time you see your child be from behind bars? I would rather say you were dead."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Of course that's not what I want!"

Wilhelmina turned away from him. She did not want him to see her tears.

"Mina…" She could feel him behind her, but she spun around once his hand was on her shoulder.

"Do not touch me!" He backed away. "Get out."

"What?"

"Get out NOW!"

"Please Wilhelmina; we need to talk about this."

"We will have plenty of time to discuss it tomorrow when I can stand to look at you."

He did not leave; instead he quickly came to her and pulled her into his arms. She tried to fight him but eventually gave in. She did not return the embrace, but allowed herself to be comforted by him.

He spoke quietly. "I will see you tomorrow."

She nodded and watched him turn and walk out the door.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Hey there, so sorry for the lengthy absence! This story has a long fucking way to go: Mina still needs a backbone, Loki still isn't sorry, his sentencing is still pending from Odin, and of course there is the kid to think about. I've created a hot mess. **

Chapter 25:

"I'll take that drink now, Stark."

"Sure, but only because I actually sympathize with you, poor bastard."

"That is the only time you'll get away with calling me that."

Thor looked between the two men, astonished. "What's going on?"

Loki arrived at the penthouse with a look that Thor could only describe as ashen. He had walked straight over to the bar where Thor had been drilling the billionaire with questions about why Mina had asked them there, to which Stark continued to shrug and say "Ask your bro." He was initially concerned that Loki and Tony would not fare well occupying the same space. And now it seemed that the two of them were actually having a semi-civil conversation, though he knew that Stark was on his guard every second he was in his brother's presence.

Loki downed the shot glass that Tony had passed to him. "Another."

Thor still questioned him. "What is it Loki? Why did Mina call you here?"

Tony passed him a shot. "Another."

"Take it easy big fella."

Loki narrowed his eyes at him. "I am a god. It would take a lot more than this to disable me."

"Okay then." And he poured another shot.

After this one, Loki sighed heavily. "It's not enough" He strode behind the bar, moving Tony aside as he bent to take in his inventory. When he emerged, he held two huge bottles of vodka and a glass in his hands. He said nothing before walking back around the bar and out of the room, leaving Thor to fret with a growing list of concerns.

Xx

Hours later, the empty bottles had been left out on one of the tower's many balconies and Loki was stumbling back towards Wilhelmina's room. He had spent his time looking over the mortals that he would have enslaved had it not been for Thor and his strange group of allies. He resented the resilience of these people as they continued to saunter around the piles of rubble that still littered their streets. Seeing all this made him drink faster.

Had he been sober, he would have considered returning to her room a bad idea and opted for giving her the space she demanded from him, however, he had yet to be assigned a room for himself and he desperately needed to lie down. So he knocked on her door over and over till it flew open, his fist almost colliding with the top of her head.

He could tell she had been crying; her eyes were pink and her face was slightly swollen. "What do you want?"

He responded with a grunt and moved passed her and into the room.

"Loki!"

He walked straight to the bed and collapsed on it, wrapping his arms around one of her pillows, savoring the familiar scent she left behind. The next thing he felt was her fist pounding on his back. "Get out!"

He turned slightly so that his voice wasn't muffled. "Come here."

"NO, I want you gone."

He flipped over onto his back and looked up at her with glassy eyes. He had completely underestimated Midgardian liquor and the effect it would have on his weakened body, nonetheless he almost laughed at how muddled his words were when he tried to speak.

"Not until we talk… I must tell you something."

He watched her demeanor transform as her rage ebbed away to curiosity. "Tell me what?"

"Everything. You should know everything."

Xx

In the many hours they spent talking (or rather she had listened to him talk) she had sat down on her bed, facing him. Shoes had been tossed over the side of the bed, leather and armor tossed over as well. At one point, towards the beginning of his biography, she had laughed at his tales of the misadventures he shared with Thor when they were younger. Wilhelmina was amazed that even in his obviously drunken state, Loki was able to string together several disturbing sentences.

He left no stone unturned. Wilhelmina would know every trick, every victim, every joy, every pain, every woman he had slept with, and every man he had teased. Of course things took a serious turn when he detailed the events that occurred the days that followed Thor's doomed coronation.

"I never knew my father." She gave him a puzzled look. "My biological father."

"Oh." What he said next truly shocked her.

"I killed him." He had to explain that his father was the despised Jotun king Laufey and once he was sure that she understood, he laughed. It was a bitter laugh that made her heart feel like it was in a vice. "Perhaps my child will kill me too. The universe has proven to have a sense of irony."

Wilhelmina searched for words, any words. What she eventually said, was not as difficult to say as she thought it would be.

"I have a sister. She's quite younger than I am so when she was brought home I pretended she was my baby. By then father had already taken to hitting me every other day. When my sister was born I promised her that I would never let him harm her, that I would let him kill me before she ever had to endure such pain. Once, she broke father's favorite drinking glass. He was so angry that I immediately said that it was me that broke it…. I couldn't leave my house for a week after he beat me. Mother feared that he had done permanent damage." She looked down at Loki, straight into his eyes. "You love your family just like I love Dagmar. Sometimes you do crazy things for those you love, and you and I proved our love very differently."

"Laufey was my father."

"He was a stranger. Blood does not make a true father."

He gifted her with a smile; it was small, but genuine. "I never imagined I would be foolish enough to father a child. I wouldn't even know where to begin to raise one."

Wilhelmina slowly laid down next him, a hand absently rubbing her stomach.

"You care. I suppose that's a start."

Xx

She tossed and turned in her bed, unable to find a comfortable position. When Wilhelmina swung an arm behind her and felt the slap of bare skin and heard a soft grunt, she opened her eyes. She slowly looked over her shoulder only to quickly turned back around.

She had slept next to Loki the entire night. She did not even remember falling asleep.

She turned to face him and was grateful that her movements did not wake him. Loki was shirtless and taking a considerable amount of space on the bed. No wonder her back was killing her.

In the morning, or perhaps afternoon light she was able to watch him sleep, her favorite pastime. After all they had been through; she would never deny that Loki was beautiful, though he would hate her using that particular word. She bit her lip as her eyes traveled lower and as she hungrily took in the toned flesh of her former lover she did not stop the lustful thoughts that exploded in her mind. Had things been different between them, she would have stripped him, climbed on top and rode him into oblivion. She shook her head, feeling completely scandalized. _What was wrong with her?!_

She did not have much time to think on it before she heard a soft knock at her door.

"Mina?"

She slapped a hand over her mouth. Clint was back, and he was outside her door. She reached over to Loki and shook him until he opened one sleepy emerald eye.

"What?"

She whispered frantically, "You have to get up! Clint is back!"

Now he was awake, but groaned in pain as soon as he sat up. The room was too bright and it felt like his mind was picking up every sound in the room, Mina's voice especially. Was he actually nauseous?

She was rushing him out of the bed. "Hide in the bathroom!"

"I will not hide! Nothing happened here."

"So I should allow him to see you half undressed and in my bed? What would _you_ think?"

He looked at her for a short while, before Clint's voice finally got him up.

"Are you okay?"

"Just a second!"

Loki watched from the bathroom doorway as Wilhelmina tidied the bed, kicking his clothes underneath. He saw how she went to a nearby mirror and smoothed out her hair before straightening her clothes. Loki wondered if she ever fussed over herself this much when he was on the other side of the door. He tried not to think about how she smiled to herself as he carefully closed the door.

From his hiding spot he heard her open the door and the man's voice was slightly muffled but Loki was still able to pick up every word.

"Hey, sorry I'm late getting back."

Loki cringed when there was a prolonged silence. He could only imagine what was happening.

"Can I come in?"

"Perhaps later; it's a mess."

Another silence.

"Is someone here?"

"No, it's just me."

"Good. You know Thor's here? I think he and Tony are up to something because they both looked weird when they saw me."

"Thor is visiting. He came to see how I'm adjusting on Earth."

"Well he'll have to wait till I'm done with you. I couldn't wait to see you again; I came straight from the airport."

This time the kiss was audible and Loki's knuckles turned white with how hard he griped the sides of the sink. He heard them as they shuffled in, the door slamming behind them.

She was giggling now and only just managed to speak. "Clint, I am very happy to see you, but we should do this later."

"I've waited weeks to see you, don't toss me out now."

This was humiliating. Surely she wouldn't sleep with him while he was trapped in the bathroom? He decided he wouldn't stick around to find out as he quickly threw the door open and stepped back into the room. He stood there, completely silent as Mina and Barton stopped whatever it was they were doing and stared at him, but the silence was short-lived.

In one move, Clint pushed Wilhelmina to the side and pulled out the gun still holstered to his leg to point directly at Loki. His head was swimming. Not only was it unsettling to see that villainous asshole there, but seeing him half naked in his girlfriend's bedroom was _really_ unsettling.

"What the fuck are you doing here? How did you get here?"

"Wilhelmina asked that I come back."

"I saw you leave Earth in chains! They threw you in prison."

"I'm on vacation."

Wilhelmina had been dumbfounded by the scene, but after her eyes traveled to the gun that Clint held in his slightly shaky hands, she moved to stand between them.

"Enough! Put the gun down Clint."

He ignored her. "Why are you here?"

"I told you: Mina wants me here."

Clint finally spoke to her, but kept his eyes on Loki. "What's going on?"

Loki did not give her a chance to speak. "She's pregnant." He smirked when the man's eyes doubled in size. "And it's not yours."

He still wasn't looking at her." Is this true?"

"Yes. I'm so sorry."

Without thinking, and in his shock, Clint lowered his gun at Wilhelmina.

Within seconds, an enraged Loki was on him. He had the man pinned to the wall, his hand threatening to snap the bones in his neck. Wilhelmina tried to pry his hand away from the fading Clint. When Loki finally released him, he fell to the floor in a heap, but when Wilhelmina reached for him to help; Clint slapped her hand away and rushed from the room.

Loki's breathing was still ragged as he tried to calm himself. He turned to Wilhelmina, who now had tears streaming down her face. He reached for her but she moved away from him. She walked over to the pile of his clothes she had hidden under her bed and flung them at him. She left the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Xx

She managed to catch him a few blocks away from the tower. It was midday in New York and the streets were filled to bursting with people. She called out to him and he stopped when he saw her. She fought to catch her breath.

"Please forgive me Clint…I didn't know until after you had left."

"So you lied when you said you two weren't together when we were trapped in that base?"

"Only because I was too ashamed to say anything. Now…I have no choice."

"And you were dumb enough to let him knock you up?"

"We did not plan for this to happen!"

"Then why don't you just get rid of it!?"

His tone shocked her. "You almost did it for me when you pointed the gun at me!"

People were walking all around them, though some slowed their pace to watch the arguing couple.

"I would have been doing you a favor by killing the freak!"

Wilhelmina slapped him so hard her hand stung, and their audience was enthralled.

"I don't care if this child is different, I will not hear you call my baby a freak!"

He lowered his hand from his face, a red mark visible. The slap seemed to bring him to his senses as he was now very much aware of the many eyes that were on them.

"Look, I'm sorry. We can figure this out; just don't go back to him."

"I'm not going back to him. I'm going to Asgard."

"I thought this was your home now."

"Asgard is the only home I have ever wanted. It's where I belong."

"Let's not talk about this here."

"I am Aesir, Clint. I cannot keep running away from that…and I don't want this child to either."

He watched her walk away and back towards the tower. She didn't say it, but he knew they were over. She had made her choice, and it was neither him nor Loki.

Xx

When Wilhelmina returned to Stark Tower and to her room, she was not surprised at all to see Loki dressed and pacing. She ignored him and went straight for her closet. She was still shaky from her fight with Clint, other than that, she had never felt better.

Loki followed her into her closet, trying to speak to her, to comfort her, anything to get her to look at him. He was concerned when she pulled what looked to be a large case out of the closet and began throwing random objects into it. She continued to ignore him and walked in and out of the closet until he could take no more.

"STOP!"

Wilhelmina turned on her heels and walked towards him. She shoved him and he stumbled backwards and onto the bed.

"Are you mad?!"

She spoke quickly. "You nearly killed Clint when he threatened the child and I slapped him when he called it a freak."

"He called it a freak?"

"Yes!"

"Then I should have killed him."

"That is exactly the point I am trying to make! We have defended this baby like we're its parents."

Confusion was written all over him. "Are we not?"

"Not until we decide to keep it."

'We' decide?"

"I certainly didn't conceive by myself."

Now he smirked at her, and she could easily guess what he was thinking. "No, you did not."

After a while he asked the dreaded question. "What do you want to do?"

She did not hesitate. "I want to keep it, what do you want?"

"I…want to keep it."

"Then that settles it."

He quickly took her hand. "What you said before still holds true. I will spend an indefinite amount of time imprisoned. I can only ask for Odin to be merciful for the sake of the child."

She nodded her head. "I understand." She sighed and sat beside him, putting her head on his shoulder. Loki put his arm around her still slim waist and pulled her in closer.

"We cannot be together."

His grip loosened on her waist. "What?"

"You have done awful things, and though last night brought clarity, I still have yet to forgive you for what you have done. Not just to me, but to Earth, and to Asgard."

He expected as much. "Do you think you ever could forgive me?"

"One day, yes."

They stayed sitting in silence for a long while before Loki spoke.

"Shall we tell my brother that he is to be an uncle soon?"

She laughed. "I'm sure he'll be more excited than we are."


	26. Chapter 26

**This chapter contains very sexual content. Oh yeah**. 

Chapter 26:

Thor laughed uproariously at his younger sibling. "I know that I am no match for your wit Loki, but I am not stupid enough to believe you could father a child! It borders on insanity!"

Loki threw his hands in the air and turned towards Wilhelmina. For once, he was glad he did not share genes with that oaf.

She smiled up at her friend. "He is actually being sincere, Thor. We are having a baby."

He gave her a skeptical look that was beginning to fade. "Truly?"

Loki turned back to him, clearly fed up. "Yes!"

Without warning, Thor scooped both of them up and into an enormous hug. Loki had never seen him so excited.

"Thor! Be careful!"

"Forgive me brother, but my excitement is too much to contain! I'm going to be an uncle! And YOU a father! Gods help us!"

Loki was ready to pounce on him for that comment, but seeing Thor so happy kept his tongue still for the moment. Soon, his joy became infectious.

The conversation shifted suddenly when Thor remembered what he was going to tell Loki before he heard the good news.

"I must mention that Jane will be joining us this evening."

"Excuse me?"

"Jane will be coming to the tower tonight for Mina's farewell dinner."

"Are you sure it is wise to have your woman here?"

Thor gave him a pointed look. "She does not have a favorable opinion of you, but I assured her that you would behave."

He waved off that comment too. "No matter, I will stay in Mina's chambers until it is time for us to depart."

"No, I want Jane to meet my family, especially now that it is growing."

Xx

Jane arrived two hours after Thor's announcement, and Loki remained unimpressed by her. Her glared at her from across the room as his brother introduced her to Mina and Pepper. It seemed the women quickly fell into stride with one another, and soon plans were made for them to explore the city before dinner. Jane never even glanced in his direction.

Loki had immense reservations about the whole thing; they were all clearly trying to overlook the fact that an intergalactic criminal was in their company. He knew that Jane hated him as much as much as everyone, if not more. Thor being the only thing they had in common, they reached a silent understanding of civility for his sake.

When the women left the tower, Loki excused himself to Mina's room and spent hours peaking in her drawers and examining her things. As he stared at a picture of her and Pepper, he realized that in the short time she resided on Earth, his Mina had managed to find at least some happiness with the mortals. He was glad for it, but it did nothing to ease his guilt.

Xx

It seemed that Mina's appetite knew no bounds and Loki was slightly worried that she had been living mostly off of those damned milkshakes she refused to part with.

It was almost unladylike of her to continuously shovel food down her throat, and he was not the only one that noticed.

"Woah girl, it's not gonna grow legs and run away."

Mina took a few seconds to swallow before she spoke. "I know Tony, I'm just very hungry."

"No worries, I can appreciate a woman with a healthy appetite, preggo or not."

Mina gave him a warm smile before turning back to her plate.

Loki's eyes traveled to Thor and Jane, who had yet to contribute to the conversation, they were so distracted by each other. He sighed when he saw that even Pepper and Tony were exchanging affections, though minor compared to his brother's, they were still apparent.

He stole a glance at Mina. Would that be them if they were still coupled? He was hardly able to keep his hands off her, but he liked to think that he practiced a bit more discretion than these people. He counted the minutes till the whole thing was over, but not before one more announcement threatened to ruin his night.

"Jane will be returning to Asgard with us."

He could not help himself. "Good luck with that. I'm sure father will be _thrilled_ to have a mortal in Asgard. As long as she never leaves your bedroom, perhaps you can get away with it."

"It worked well enough for you and Mina."

Tony quickly stepped in as Loki opened his mouth. "Oooookay guys, let's bring the sibling drama down a little."

Loki stood up abruptly. "I refuse to play into this charade any longer, dinning with humans as if we share some common ground. You all may have a fondness for Wilhelmina, but you certainly despise me for what I did to your joke of a planet."

With that, he left the room, heading straight for Mina's.

Xx

When she finally returned to her room, Loki was still awake. However, much to his surprise, she did not scold him for his earlier behavior. Instead she gave him a welcoming smile and heading straight for the large box, where she continued to pack her things.

"You are not angry?"

"I expected some sort of argument to happen, and as always you did not disappoint."

He chuckled and walked over to her. "Must you take all of this with you?"

"I want to remember Earth".

"You will return one day."

"Yes, but it will be a very long time from now. Once the baby arrives I doubt I'll have time to travel anywhere."

He stood behind her and Mina stopped packing when his arms wrapped around her waist. She stood completely still as he kissed the exposed skin of her neck and her shoulders. She leaned her head back against him as his breath warmed her neck. He heard her sigh when he placed one of his hands flat against her stomach, rubbing his thumb over her.

She spoke to him in a quiet voice. "He's still very small, but I can sense him. It's an odd feeling." She turned in his arms when Loki was silent for too long. He was giving her a hard look and his hands were rigid on her. "What's wrong?"

"You know the sex of the child already?"

She laughed softly and pressed closer to him. "Yes. The doctor hasn't confirmed it, but I'm sure. Mother's intuition perhaps?"

Now Loki was beaming at her, he looked almost giddy. "A boy?"

She nodded her head and her eyes widened comically when he pressed his lips to hers. Loki kissed her tenderly and she groaned when he pulled away.

"Do you want this?"

He knew she had not expected that question, so when she only stared at him, he stepped away from her completely.

"If this is not what you want I will leave. I won't touch you again."

"I love you." She continued before he could say anything. "Even though you have hurt me more than anyone ever has, I still cannot bear saying goodbye to you for gods know how long without being with you again. The way we used to."

"You have forgiven me?"

"No, but for tonight…I only want to focus on us…please?"

He smiled at her before placing both his hands on the side of her face. "I love you too."

Then he kissed her again, and this time she returned it immediately.

His heart fluttered when Mina slowly fell to her knees in front of him. He took hold of her dresser as she pulled his pants down to his thighs, freeing his stiff cock. Mina licked her lips before wrapping her fingers around his thick shaft. A loud groan erupted from Loki as she took the tip of him in her mouth, swirling her tongue around him. He would definitely miss this, and he did not rush her as she took him even further into her mouth, one hand pumping him while the other cupped his sack.

Soon his breaths were coming in short gasps and he was bucking into her mouth with both hands in her hair. He lost himself when he hit the back of her throat, causing her to gag around him. "Mina…fuck!", his curse was loud and drawn out as he finally found his release. She moaned as he spilled into her mouth, her eyes watering from the pressure.

After catching his breath, Loki quickly lifted her into his arms and onto the bed. He pulled down her jeans roughly, and was pleasantly surprised to find that she was wearing lacy, tiny undergarments (for that, he secretly thanked Midgard). He stopped her when she tried to remove them. He wanted to see her in them as long as possible. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her dip her hand beneath her panties and as she pleasured herself, Loki's arousal grew to a frenzy. He snatched her wrist and pulled her hand away from her center and he watched her mouth fall open as he sucked each of her fingers, tasting her, savoring her. He loved how she literally shivered with need.

"You are sure this won't hurt him?"

She smiled. "It's fine."

He kissed her stomach before he flipped her over, causing her to gasp in surprise.

Loki didn't care about the lamp her foot knocked over and most likely broke. He wanted to break more of the billionaire's things as he roughly pulled her to her knees. She tried to balance herself on her forearms, but Loki pushed her down till her chest was pressed against the mattress.

He sent a hand between her thighs and moved her panties to the side before he guided himself into her tight, hot cunt. A moan escaped him as he filled her. He was too impatient to take things slow and he grunted with each powerful thrust and Mina could not keep quiet as he fucked her. He knew this is what Clint would never be able to give her; this primal, passionate lovemaking that only they could achieve together.

She squeaked when he suddenly smacked her fantastic and slightly plumper ass.

"Loki!"

He growled at her. "Get used to it." And he spanked her again for good measure, her whimpering music to him.

He watched as her skin flushed and her hands clawed at the covers, burying her face in them as she moaned and cursed as she came, and her clenching around his throbbing cock had him following close behind. He rode out every exquisite spasm that traveled through him until he pulled out and collapsed on the bed.

They lay next to each other for a short time before Mina moved away from him. She was almost out of the bed when he pulled her back into his arms. "Thank you."

She laughed. "What for?"

"For trusting me….and for our son."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27:

"Again?"

"Yes, again."

"We've hardly slept, Loki."

He was trailing wet, open-mouthed kisses down the entire length of her body, and as he did, he admired the goosebumps that rose from her skin.

"I want you to come for me." He grinned up at her. "Again."

Mina bit her lip as he nibbled on her inner thigh, and she arched her back when two fingers suddenly entered her. They were going on their fourth hour together this way, and every time she felt like she would fall asleep, Loki would be after her again.

When she felt his tongue flutter over her, she lifted her hips, drawing him in deeper. He assaulted her flesh for several minutes before she came, gasping and moaning.

Xx

The goodbyes were teary ones, and Tony pulled Mina into a quick hug while Loki wasn't looking.

"If he tries anything, just call and I'll come and kick his ass."

"There are no telephones in Asgard, but I will find a way to contact you."

Nearby Jane was buzzing with excited and extremely nervous energy as she chanted to herself, "I can't believe I'm doing this…I can't believe I'm doing this…." Thor wrapped an arm around her to try and calm her but eventually gave up when she refused to stand still.

Minutes later, Loki managed to speak to Stark out of the corner of his mouth.

"I appreciate you caring for Wilhelmina in my absence."

He scoffed, but not loud enough for the others to hear. "I swear if you hurt her or that kid, I'll have Banner slam you into the floor until you break in half."

Loki gave him a mockingly innocent grin before rejoining the group. Unlike his fellow travelers, he had nothing to look forward to once they arrived in Asgard. He knew Mina was anxious to be reunited with her sister and he hoped that would comfort her after he was thrown back in his cell.

They spent another fifteen minutes saying their farewells and making plans for the future before they finally went their separate ways.

Xx

As Loki looked past the arches of a newly constructed Bifrost, he realized that the last three days went by slower than he had anticipated. His musings were interrupting with the sound of Jane retching somewhere behind him and he laughed before he heard the unmistakable sound of boots heading towards them.

Soon he was back in chains and surrounded by guards as they escorted him and the rest of the group to Odin's castle.

When the guards led them through secure passages that avoided the streets, he was relieved. Though he would never show it, he was not ready for any public humiliation, especially in front of Mina. Entering the grand hall, Loki was again comforted by the absence of the court. The only people present were a few scattered guards, Odin, and his mother who was quickly making her way over.

She stood before them, a huge smile on her face. Her eyes quickly traveled from her sons to Mina as though she did not know who to greet first, but she decided to shove past her children and wrap her arms around the woman that had chosen the daunting task of mothering her grandchild.

Thor cleared his throat behind her, prompting her to finally turn.

"Mother, this is Jane Foster."

Frigga smiled at the young woman. "Thor has spoken of you very highly and _very_ often."

A slight blush crept over her face. "I'm…pleased to meet you your highness."

"Please call me Frigga dear. May I call you Jane?"

"Yes, please."

The queen turned to her youngest. "Loki…"

"Mother…"

She gestured with her finger for him to bend down and when he did, she cupped his chin and planted a warm kiss on his cheek that drew a small smile from the young prince.

"We will talk later; your father is ready to see you."

"Yes mother." His eyes met Mina's briefly before he was escorted to the throne steps; and he bowed his head politely before his father.

"Have you reconciled with your woman?"

"We have an understanding."

"What is your 'understanding'?"

It took much of his willpower not to roll his eyes. "She will carry and possibly raise our son until my sentencing has expired."

The king remained silent for a while, his eyes never leaving his Loki's. "Your plans will be considered as I decide on your sentencing."

"I would ask that Mina remain in the castle, for her safety."

"Very well, but know this Loki: if she were not carrying royalty, she would be removed from our home and into the street; similar to how you have treated your other conquests."

Loki winced, but said nothing. The men stood staring at each other, neither one willing to say another word. With a nod towards the guards, Odin signaled for Loki to be removed from the room.

Xx

Wilhelmina woke the next day in Loki's old room and had to strain to keep herself from leaping out of bed. Today she would send for Dagmar to come to the palace. She wished she could return to her home, but the queen feared for her.

After the summons was made, she spent the rest of her time tidying every inch of what was now her chambers till she heard the doors open. When the young girl stepped into the room, Mina put a hand over her mouth as tears streamed down her face. Her sister had grown.

Dagmar was just child (though not so much anymore), and her grey eyes still held a profound innocence. She was slightly taller than she remembered, though definitely paler. The two of them hardly looked alike and Mina smiled when she saw how the flowing tresses of her sister's blond hair bounced around her shoulders as she ran.

"Mina!" The girl practically jumped into her arms and they fell into a heap on the floor. There were many more hugs shared, tears shed, and delirious laughter before they calmed down. The elder sibling immediately wanted to know everything that had occurred in Dagmar's life since she had been gone, but the girl was too eager to let her get a word in.

"Is it true what they say? There have been so many cruel rumors since you disappeared."

"What are the rumors?"

"I'd rather not tell you if you don't already know."

"I will have to face them eventually Dagmar. Start with the worst."

"Well…the worst is that Prince Loki is a frost giant."

"He is."

She squeaked before taking a deep breath and starting again. "The second worst is that you were secretly married."

"We are _not_ married…."

"Thank goodness…"

"….we _are_ having a child."

"Mina how could you!?"

"It was before I knew what he is! And it hardly matters now."

"What if it looks different once it's born?"

"Would you love your nephew any less if he was?"

The child did not hesitate. "No! He's our family."

Wilhelmina held up a finger. "And so is Loki."

She watched Dagmar's cheeks color slightly and her brow furrow. She eventually sighed. "Loki too."

"Good, what else?"

"Has Thor brought a Midgardian back with him?"

"Yes, her name is Jane. Do you want to meet her?"

"Could I?!"

"Of course, let's go."

The girl was on her heels as she made her way towards the door.

"Is she pretty?"

"She is very pretty."

"Is she nice?"

"She is the nicest mortal you will ever meet."

Xx

Seeing her sister had brought Mina an immeasurable amount of relief, but she knew that meeting with her mother would be the complete opposite. She really hated her strong sense of loyalty…

"Is it true that you are carrying that monster's child?"

Mina silently noted to be much more careful when speaking around the servants. "Yes, and he is your grandson, not a monster."

The two of them had been alone together for only five minutes before her mother began to insult her. She was surprised it had taken so long.

"I did not raise you to lay with animals!"

"No mother, but you did teach me to let animals beat me!"

She knew that one would shut her up. She watched her mother brush her blond hair over her petite shoulders before she spoke again.

"I'm sure your sister has told you about your father."

"We did not talk about him."

"Shocking, considering how he has abandoned us."

"What!?"

"Do not look so surprised Wilhelmina! After you ran away with a criminal we couldn't possibly show our faces at court! It was too much for him."

"How are you surviving?"

"He sends us bits of money here and there…hardly enough."

"I will speak with the queen. Hopefully she will find a new home for the both of you outside the city. I will send money to you from now on."

"And what of your father?"

"Do you know where he is?"

"Of course."

"Then tell him I said that he can rot right where he is, and if he takes anything from Dagmar I will have him killed."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me."

Xx

The royal prisoner was taking his hundredth nap when a guard entered his cell. He tossed his clothes towards him.

"Dress. The king is ready with your sentencing."

When Loki arrived in the throne room he was not surprised that the room was more occupied than it was when he had first returned. There were several court members present to observe the sentencing, as well his mother, his brother, Jane, Wilhelmina, Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg.

He was forced to his knees at Odin's throne and his heart was racing as his eyes met his father's, but when they did, his heart nearly stopped when he saw how weary he was. He looked so ragged, as though he hadn't slept in a century.

"Are you prepared to answer for your crimes?"

"Yes."

The king's voice was soft and pained, though the whole room could hear every word he spoke. "Loki Odinson, the realm has charged you with several counts of vandalism, theft, treason, and murder. These crimes extend to the realms of Jotuheim and Midard."

Whispers rose around the room as Odin spoke, and Loki forced himself to keep his eyes forward.

"As a prince of Asgard, it is only this title that keeps you from banishment; thus it is only suiting that you remain imprisoned as you are a threat to the order of Yggdrasil."

A hush fell over the room as Odin finally stood from his throne and raised his heavy staff to point directly at his son.

"I, Odin Allfather, as king of this realm I hereby sentence you to an eternity within the dungeons of this castle!"

There was a scream that pierced through the crowd of cheers. He knew it was Mina.

"Any request you would make to support Wilhelmina during her pregnancy would be denied."

Loki tried to stand, but was forced back down to his knees. "WHY!?"

"You have torn countless families apart with your jealousy and your need for power. Now that you will become a father, you may finally appreciate the life you were given, and the life you could have lived. Though you fathered this child you will never know him. You will never see him, touch him, or hear his voice. You will forever be a stranger to him, a vicious rumor that will hover above him."

A shrill panic shot through him. "Odin I beg you, don't do this… YOU CANNOT BE SO CRUEL FATHER!"

"I WILL BE AS CRUEL AND AS HEARTLESS AS YOU HAVE PROVEN YOURSELF TO BE!"

His voice filled the room and seemed to echo down the hall. As the voice faded, a deathly silence was the only response. They stood as still as statues and Loki was the only thing that moved; his panicked and enraged trembling becoming more violent by the minute.

Odin collapsed onto his throne heavily. "Remove him from our sight."

Loki did not fight the guards as they dragged him through the hissing crowd, but he grasped desperately at Thor, bringing his face close to his. "Brother, take care of Mina and my son…he is yours now."

"I swear I will care for them."

With that Loki let go, and the last thing he saw of Wilhelmina was her eyes. He wanted to remember those deep, blue pools, even as they narrowed in pain and filled with hot tears.

Xx

Thor had never seen his mother so distraught. Her face was red, and she was shaking as she yelled at her husband. "How could you do this!? He is our son!"

He ignored her question. "How is the girl?"

"She is devastated! You have sentenced her to an eternity without her child's father!"

"You speak as though she were doomed! Have you forgotten that the child she carries is a prince? They will not live in squalor!"

"After what you've done, I highly doubt she will accept anything from you!" Frigga wiped the tears from her face, her voice now a shaky whisper. "What if she keeps our grandchild from us? She cannot survive outside these walls as long as the people still hold hatred towards Loki. "

Thor finally stepped in. "Nothing will harm her. Whatever she chooses, I will support her. I promised my brother I would help her to raise the child."

Odin gave him a hard look. "I will not have you looking after her when you are a king! The girl will stay here and the servants will care for her. Entertain your mortal for now."

Thor growled and left the room, guards jumping out of the way as he stormed down the hall. He was fuming as he marched toward Wilhelmina's chambers and his pace quickened when he heard a loud crash and panicked voices.

"Please my lady, you must calm down!"

When Thor rounded the corner and arrived in her doorway, his mouth hung open in shock. The room was a mess as pictures, books, mirrors, and many other objects were flying around the room. Yet when his eyes found Mina, he realized that she was not touching anything. It was her inner turmoil, and likewise her inner power that was creating the magical hurricane that terrified the servants.

He cautiously walked over to the woman who sat in the middle of the room. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mina…sister…please stop this."

She seemed to refocus at the sound of his voice, and slowly the room and the people trapped within, calmed. Thor sighed, clearly relieved, and turned to the still huddling servants. "Leave us."

Once the last of the servants left, he joined her on the floor and brushed some of her hair out of her face. "I know how difficult this is for you, but how is the child?"

She looked up at him, and her eyes were cold. "He is cursed."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Oh my, I did not get a positive reaction from the last chapter. I will (of course) stand by what I wrote but I will say that everything cannot be rainbows, especially for a criminal, no matter how brain-meltingly sexy he is. Seriously. **

Chapter 28:

_Yet another shift guarding the fallen Prince of Asgard._ The guard groaned as he slowly made his way down the spiraling staircase that lead to the prison. _You make one mistake in apprehending a petty thief and you're severely demoted to watching over a treasonous, Jotun, criminal. The mighty have fallen. _

He nodded his greeting to his partner and positioned himself on the other side of the door. He had spent less that ten minutes at his post when a chill came over him, and It was ice cold as it passed through him. He could tell his partner felt it as well as he caught him having a slight shiver. Minutes later, a loud crash sounded inside the cell, followed by another. He pounded on the door. "Quiet in there _your highness_!"

After hearing another particularly loud crash, he decided to peak through the small window at the top of the door. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness that had settled within the cell where it had normally remained well lit. He called out again.

"What's going on in there?"

The prince did not answer him, in fact, he heard nothing at all. Not entirely satisfied, though not willing to investigate, he turned his eyes back to the winding staircase; and he settled back into feeling sorry for himself.

Xx

Was he going mad? He had only served a small portion of his eternal sentence and yet he was already struggling to maintain his sanity. He resided in a cell that was much more lavish than those of other prisoners, but it still felt as though the walls were inching in closer every day.

Every bit of magic had once again been stripped from him, all except his outward appearance which remained pale. He was not sure if this was a show of mercy for him or for the guards that watched over his cell. Regardless, he was ever hopeful that his continual cooperation would result in enough leniency from Odin so that he could perhaps see his son at least once. Even as his days and his mind grew darker, he knew that he would never jeopardize a chance to see his family again. Loki was lost in these thoughts when he felt it again. That chill.

His hands balled into a fist on top of the desk. He could not endure any more of this.

As if on cue, he heard his name whispered into the air. "Loki..."

He tried to control his breathing. When he first began to hear the voice after many months, he considered calling for a healer. Now, he was finally at his limit.

"Laufeyson..."

"WHAT!?"

As soon as he looked up, his eyes spotted a figure in the corner. Shrouded by darkness, a hooded figure stood facing him and the prince shot up from his chair, knocking it over.

"You have failed us."

Loki pressed his back to the opposite wall, frantically looking for any kind of weapon he could use against the intruder. "Who are you?"

The thing's voice was raspy, but Loki could sense its malice. "You know who I am."

"Why are you here?"

"You know why."

"I will not play games here. Reveal yourself now or this absurd conversation is over!"

The words had just left his mouth when he was overcome with blinding pain. It spread from his head and radiated throughout his entire body. He knew that there was only one being that could inflict this much pain, cause this paralyzing fear. The visitor's next words confirmed it.

"You know what we want boy! Bring the tessearct to us, and all will be forgiven. You will have the power to take back what is yours."

"What is mine?"

"Your sorcery, your woman, everything."

His heart beat painfully in his chest. Wilhelmina could be anywhere inside the castle, and she had no idea what was happening.

Xx

As Wilhelmina sorted through the mountain of baby clothes she had been gifted over the last six months, she fought the urge to travel back to Earth and purchase a milkshake. The cooks in the kitchens had tried to imitate the Midgardian beverage, but it wasn't the same.

"My lady?" She jumped at her servant's voice.

"Yes?"

"Perhaps your grace would prefer to rest now."

"I have been resting for hours."

"The queen has expressed her concern for you my lady. She wishes that in the last months of your pregnancy that you spend more time resting in bed."

She sighed. Ever since she had fallen ill and experienced some slight bleeding, Frigga had refused to let her shadow her around the castle. She now spent her days within the vast caverns of her personal chambers; the last place she wanted to be.

Loki's things were everywhere and the thought of him could still take the air from her lungs. Thankfully, a large amount of his possessions were moved elsewhere in order to make room for the baby. In less than two months, yet another reminder of Loki would be in her arms.

Settling into bed again Mina knew she was going stir-crazy, and no one was offering her any relief. Though it was not just her need for fresh air that made her restless. She was too embarrassed to admit that lately she had felt as though she were being watched. As if someone was hidden in the shadows of her room, and a chill would send shivers down her spine. She had even felt someone's breath at the back of her neck.

Mina closed her eyes and took long and deep breaths while her hands ran over the large swell of her stomach. Perhaps Jane would walk with her tomorrow...

Xx

"Everyone around you will fall until we get what we want Laufeyson!"

"Even if you were to free me from this cell, you would have to get it yourself. I am not your servant."

"I do not make empty threats...and I will prove it."

"What do you mean?"

The Other laughed. "You seem to want redemption; to be forgiven for your crimes. Tell me Loki, how will your brother and future king forgive you when he knows that you are the one responsible for his lover's death?"

Without thinking, Loki lunged forward and swung at the Other, but his arms struck air. It was gone, and Loki was alone once more.

He ran out of his study and to the cell door and pounded on the door as hard as he could. "I need to send a message to my brother!"

A muffled voice answered him from the other side. "Wait till his majesty's next visit."

"This cannot wait! He must know that Jane is in danger!"

There was silence for an agonizing amount of time before the guard spoke again. "Are you sure?"

"Deliver the message, and I will spare your life once I am released. But If something happens to Jane it is not only my wrath you should fear."

He watched as the guard hurried up the stairs. He only hoped his message would not arrive too late.

Xx

Either by a stroke of luck or well-timed genius, Jane Foster was able to escape the confines of Odin's castle. By now she knew the streets well, and her steps took her toward the marketplace. Unfortunately she would not find the market to be as bustling as it would be during the day.

As twilight settled on the city and people returned to their homes, Jane found herself to be one of the few still wandering the near empty streets. She needed time to think, and to get her heart to stop pounding against her chest. Thor had just proposed to her, and she was not ready to give him an answer.

She had always believed that she would be a woman of science and would live in the same small town. Thor's arrival changed everything and now she was considering being the queen of Asgard. In the last six months. she had come to love the people and the realm's rich history, but what would happen to her? Would she have to become a goddess? And she was pretty sure Odin wasn't entirely okay with her being there. Maybe he thought she wasn't good enough for his son? For Asgard?

Her thoughts were interrupted when a slight sound caused her to turn, only to find that she was not sharing the street with anyone else. She turned and quickened her steps towards home, trying her best to ignore the sound of steps behind her. She failed when the sound grew closer and Jane sped to a full sprint through the abandoned streets.

She pushed herself to run faster as the palace towers came into view, but she would not reach its gates. She was taken off her feet as her pursuers reached her, and a damp, scaly hand covered her mouth to prevent her screams from being heard. There was a sharp pain in her neck before she lost consciousness and her limp body was carried off into the forest.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29:

This was maddening.

Asgard could be tumbling down a path to ruin and he was locked away in his cell. He was worried that, should the Other take Jane, his next target would be Wilhelmina. Loki turned and struck the wall, cutting his knuckles in the process. The fear and adrenaline that coursed through him prevented him from feeling the pain, and he hardly took notice of the small trickle of blood that ran down his forearm as his fingers combed through his hair. He had to find a way out.

He jumped to the side when his door suddenly flew off its hinges and into the room. What he saw in the doorway was an enraged Thor, Mjonir clutched tightly in his hand.

"Thor..." Loki began as his brother stomped towards him, hammer raised.

"WHERE IS SHE!?"

Loki's mind scrambled at the realization that his message had arrived too late. "What happened?"

"Jane is missing, and you know where she is."

"I do not."

"Do not lie to me, Loki! I received a message from you warning that Jane is in danger. Now tell me what you know!"

"Surely I would tell you if I knew where she was!"

Thor roared and grabbed Loki by the collar of his shirt. "Then you will help us find her."

He released him and turned to one of the many startled guards that had crowded the room. "Fetch my brother's armor; he is a free man until Jane is found." Thor spoke to the man, but his eyes never left Loki's. "You are permitted to use force if he tries to run." He then hurried out of the room and up the staircase.

As soon as Thor was out of his sight, Loki took hold of the guard.

"Send some men to watch over Wilhelmina's chambers. She is not to leave that room under any circumstance and none but the royal family may enter." He inched closer to him. "Should even a servant pass the threshold you will all die by my hands, understood?"

The man's voice was shaky as he spoke. "Yes, your highness."

Xx

He was not surprised by the shocked reactions of the lords and ladies in the halls as he sped passed them in full armor with a fleet of guards trailing behind him. He ignored the sounds of screams as he made his way towards the castle entrance.

He took a deep breath as soon as they made it outdoors, but did not have time to enjoy the sun on his skin before he was barking out orders.

"Begin in the city, every home and business must be thoroughly searched. Do what you must to find her…soon."

As the men marched towards the city, some with reluctance and suspicious glances, Loki waited a few moments before heading straight for the forest. He knew Jane was there, and he needed to find her first.

He tore through the forest while calling her name, his frustration growing as he trudged through the dense woods. He thought bitterly that if he only had his powers, he would have quickly dispersed many of his doppelgangers to cover more ground. Now he was forced to use all of his instincts to track her down.

He spent two hours calling for her and praying that his voice would be heard before the last of the day's light faded to utter darkness. When he received no response, he shouted again, causing birds to flee from the thick canopy of branches above him.

Only this time, someone answered him.

He ran forward as soon as he heard Jane's cry for help, following her voice until he reached a small clearing in the tress. From where he stood, he could see that the girl was tied to a tree, and he saw the cuts on her face and her arms; the blood that stained her torn clothes.

Loki drew his dagger and slowly approached her, his anger rising as he saw the look of terror in her eyes. He spoke his first words to her as he bent down to untie the rope that bound her to the tree.

"Are you alright?"

"No, but we have to hurry, I think they're coming back soon."

He paused for a millisecond. "They?"

"The same things that attacked New York."

"The chitauri."

Her eyes suddenly filled with fresh tears. "Did you send them to take me?"

"No. I'm not sure if you've noticed that I've been imprisoned for months."

She scowled at him. "You're a trickster, the god of lies!"

"I have nothing against you! In fact, I want to return you to Thor as soon as poss-"

He was not able to finish before Jane screamed and he turned, shielding her from the three chitauri that were running towards them.

Loki yelled for Jane to stay back as he charged forward, his dagger sinking into the nearest enemy. He knew he would have to do much more to defeat the creatures that swarmed him, creatures that had once been his to control.

He cried out when he felt sharp nails plunge into his side, breaking the skin and gripping his flesh enough to throw him to the ground. He managed to stand once again to fight his attackers until, breathless and bloodied, he stood above their corpses.

The next thing he felt was Jane's hand on his shoulder, then a harsh voice cut through the peaceful quiet.

"This is but a taste of what will befall your realm if you continue to refuse me Loki."

Seeing the hooded figure once again, Jane jumped behind Loki, and he steadied his breathing.

"I told you I will not do your bidding."

"You are a fool, you stand to lose everything!" Loki was silent. "I know what you fight for: I have breathed in the scent of your woman, have seen how big she is with child."

He broke his silence then. "Stop!"

The fiend was relentless. "I should have ripped that abomination from her womb and silenced their screams! Perhaps killing them will persuade you!"

He felt as though he were sweating from the heat of the anger that overwhelmed him. This had to stop, all of it. "Tell your master that our deal is off and I will not betray this realm. If he wants the damned tesseract, he will have to face the armies of Asgard to claim it!"

The Other gave a cruel laugh at his declaration. "You…declaring war? You failed to conquer a planet as pathetic as Earth with your own army!"

"Then believe this: your head will lie on the steps of Odin's throne." The enemy growled. "And you will see that this boy does not make empty threats either."

"Prepare your men, for you have marked them all for death! We will take what we want, but only after destroying your precious realm of imbeciles!"

"We'll be ready."

The creature growled at them, a low and menacing rumble in his throat before disappearing in a flash of light. Loki shielded himself and Jane from the light, only to find that where the Other once stood, flames now rose. They took hold of nearby branches that ignited the mighty trees, spreading the fire further. In a matter of seconds, black smoke began to fill their lungs and Loki quickly turned to Jane.

"Run Jane!" She did not move, so he yelled at her again.

"Jane!" She did not hear him, her eyes were still fixed on the flames and she was rooted to the spot while the fire made its way toward her trembling figure.

Her stare was broken when Loki picked her up and threw her over his shoulder before running into the forest, a screaming Jane bouncing on his shoulder.

He ran as hard and as fast as he could, all the while trying not to choke on smoke and his own lack of air. When they finally made it past the point of danger, he set Jane down and they both collapsed. The girl jumped when she heard his angered voice.

"If you are ever going to be a queen you must be brave, and not force your people to haul you out of danger!"

Her heart sank. "I…how did…"

Loki sighed. "Thor told me of his plans to propose some time ago. "

"Oh god…" She covered her face with her hands, and Loki gifted her with a small laugh.

They did not sit in silence for long before Loki was on his feet again. "Let's go."

Jane began to stand, but winced when her weight shifted to her right ankle. He saw the pain in her face as she leaned against a tree. "Can you walk?"

"I don't know."

He did not wait for her to find out before he scooped her up into his arms and began the long trek back to the castle.

Jane sighed in relief. "I think I'm starting to get what Mina sees in you."

He looked down at her with a wicked smile. "What's not to like?"

"Well there's the fact that you're crazy…"

"Crazy?"

She spoke quickly. "According to Thor of course."

"Is that so?"

"…ugh huh."

"You're a terrible liar."

"You would know."

They walked on in silence for a while before Jane looked up at him again.

"Asgard isn't safe anymore is it?"

She could see his jaw tighten. "No, it isn't."

Xx

All eyes looked towards the doors when Loki burst into the healing room still carrying Jane. As soon as he laid her onto the bed, the healers swarmed her, and he turned to the servants.

"Notify my brother that Jane is alive and send for guards to cover the doors."

"Yes, your highness!"

"May I tend to your wounds, sir?"

His head snapped to the voice and he saw that a young healer stood staring at him. It was then that he felt the stinging pain at his side once again.

Right then, Thor arrived in the healing room and headed straight for Jane. It was obvious that he did not see his brother or anyone else in the room, he only saw the woman he loved and that she was alive.

Loki watched their tearful reunion as the young girl cleaned his wound, but he took a defensive stance when Thor finally advanced towards him. He was surprised when Thor grabbed hold of his shoulders and pulled him into a crippling hug.

"I was told that you saved her from the forest. Thank you, brother."

"Do not thank me just yet. We have much to discuss."

Xx

When Frigga rushed into Wilhelmina's chambers, she was panicked when she did not see the girl right away.

"Mina!" She yelled for her until she emerged from another room.

"Are you alright darling?"

"Yes, I'm fine, but what's happened? My servants were sent away and there are guards outside my doors."

"Jane was taken."

"What!? Where is she?"

"Loki has brought her back and she is in the healing room."

The queen saw the color drain from the girl's face. "Loki?"

"Yes, Thor released him so that he could help in the search."

Her voice was quiet. "Is he hurt?"

She had to lie. "Only a minor injury. He will be fine."

Mina reached for Frigga's hands. "Will he come to see me?"

"I pray that he has the chance to."

Xx

Naturally, Odin was furious with Loki after the awful truth was finally spoken.

"You are still making decisions as though you were a king! I am the one to declare war, not a prince!"

"I'm sorry I did not have time to _consult _with you father, but the situation demanded a response!"

"And you thought this could be settled with war?"

"Yes, we can rid ourselves of this threat by destroying them."

Thor stepped in. "I agree; it is time we put an end to their treachery. Our allies will stand with us."

Odin ran a hand over his face, his weariness sinking down to his bones. "It has been centuries since this realm engaged in battle, and Thanos could be marching across the bridge as we speak."

Loki stepped forward. "The Other was able to slip past our defenses, but with only three chitauri. He would have stormed the castle with an entire fleet had the battle for earth not left them weak. Thanos will have to build up his army and that could take some time. We will be ready when the time comes."

"How can you make such guarantees when you are still a prisoner?"

Thor spoke before Loki could respond. "Father, he has valuable knowledge of our enemy that we can use against them, and he has proven to be the better strategist among us. I can think of no better warrior to have by my side. Lessen his sentencing so that he may aid us."

Odin stood looking into Loki's eyes, and was slightly convinced by the rare sincerity he saw in them. "One day of good cannot make up for all the damage you have caused. However, Thor is right, and in light of all that has happened…I will postpone your sentencing. You may roam the castle, but you will not present yourself at court. And if I hear that you have stepped one foot outside castle walls, I will throw you back into your cell myself."

"Yes, father."

"Both of you take the night to gather your thoughts. We will make all necessary announcements in the morning… Asgard is officially at war."

Xx

He counted every step it took to get to Wilhelmina's chambers. Though guards escorted him down the hall, he was so lost in thought that he hardly noticed them, and all he could feel was a terrible anxiety. While imprisoned he feared he would forget her face as the years passed, and now he found himself free and outside her room.

Loki placed his hand on the door and stopped, dread seizing him and his heart throbbing loudly in his chest.

Then he heard her voice through the door. She was singing. Loki closed his eyes when he recognized the same cradlesong his mother had sung to him as a child. Suddenly every fear he had was swept away, and a smile spread across his face as he stepped inside.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30:

Wilhelmina turned when she heard the doors open, and when she saw him, both hands shot up to cover her mouth and hot tears streamed down her face. She remained completely still as she watched him walking towards her with that same wide smile on his face. She refused to move for fear that taking a single step forward would make him disappear because, surely, this was a cruel dream.

When he stood before her, he reached out and gripped both her wrists, pulling them down so that he could see her face. Loki held her trembling wrists in his hands as he spoke to her.

"Wilhelmina…" She closed her eyes as his voice washed over her. "…you are so beautiful."

Her resolve broke, and Mina found herself wrapping her arms around her love and crushing her lips against his. She did not care that his clothes were torn and he smelled like smoke and dirt. She only wanted to stay like this, with him.

When they finally pulled away from each other, Loki looked down at the large swell of her stomach, and there was awe in his voice. "That's our son."

"Yes, we're almost ready."

"Are you well, do you need anything?"

"I'm wonderful. Your parents have been very generous."

As they spoke, Wilhelmina could not help but keep her hands on him: she touched his chest, his neck, his lips, his hair. Minutes later they had fallen into bed where she filled him in on what had occurred in the outside world until her sudden jump alerted him.

"What is it?"

She turned her head to look at him, a serene smile on her face. "He hasn't stopped kicking since you got here. I think he remembers you." He was apprehensive as she took his hand and gently placed it on her stomach. It took only a few seconds before it happened, and he felt his heart explode. He tried to pull his hand away but she held it there, letting him feel the small bumps inside her.

She let go of his hand when she saw several tears escape him, and he laid his forehead on her stomach while he whispered to their son. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Loki…what's wrong?"

He wiped his tears and rose from the bed, walking towards one of the enormous windows. He stood with his back to her. "In a few hours Odin is going to announce to the people that Asgard is at war. Our son will not be born in the world that we once knew, and I am to blame."

Mina sat up, balancing herself on her forearms. "War? Who is against us?"

"Thanos and the Chitauri. They have finally come to do what I couldn't."

She sighed, feeling the weight on her shoulders. "The tesseract…"

"Yes."

"How much time do we have?"

"I don't know, but Thanos will need to recover his army enough to invade."

He could hear Wilhelmina rising from their bed, her bare feet walking across the floor. He turned when he felt her hand on his shoulder. "I never meant for this."

"It is the people you will have to convince."

He turned away from her again. "They will never fight with a Jotun."

"They will fight with an Asgardian prince."

A loud knock on the door startled them, and he gave Mina a pointed look before drawing a dagger and walking towards the door. He breathed an audible sigh of relief when he opened the door to find Thor and Jane on the other side.

"Brother, may we speak?"

Loki said nothing but stepped to the side to allow them in.

Mina rushed to Jane as soon as she saw her and the men watched as their women embraced one another before Thor turned to his younger sibling. "I cannot wait till the morning to begin preparing for this war…and I can't let Jane out of my sight again."

Loki nodded his understanding and he motioned for Thor to follow as they moved into the study.

Xx

"Absolutely not!"

"Just consider it!"

"There is nothing to consider!"

"Is it because of Barton?"

He nearly snarled at Thor. "He is no threat to me, neither are any of your other 'Avengers'."

"Then what is it?"

"I don't want them here."

"Those men fought alongside me; they supported me while I had to fight against my own brother. They want to see an end to this as much as you do."

"If we needed _any _assistance in this war, I would not beg them for it!"

Thor bent over the desk, his fists balled up and resting on the cold surface. "Will you for once let go of your pride and do what's right?" He silenced Loki before he could give a response.  
"They're coming!" The prince's frustration was still apparent as he left the room, calling for Jane to leave.

As soon as she said her goodbyes to Jane, Mina went into the study to check on Loki. She could tell from the way Thor huffed out of the room that something was off. She stood leaning against the doorway and watched him pace the floor.

"Well…it seemed that went well."

"Thor wants his band of freaks to join in our fight."

"Not a bad idea."

He stopped. "Excuse me?"

"Regardless of how much you all hate each other, we have a common enemy. We are stronger together than apart. I shouldn't have to tell you that." She walked over to him and lifted her hands up to grasp his shoulders. "I am on your side Loki, but we must gather every ally we have."

Xx

As quiet finally fell over Odin's castle and the citizens of Asgard enjoyed their last night of blissful ignorance and peace, Loki remained awake and tormented.

He had said his goodnight to Mina and went into another room to rid himself of his ruined clothing and bathe the smell of smoke and blood from his tired body. He lifted his shirt over his head and was again visited with a sharp pain that radiated from the bloodied bandage at his side. He removed the bandage and ran his hand over the now closed wound that was still surrounded by mangled skin. Looking down at his side he also saw the fading bruises from the night before, the ones he was forced to endure at the hands of a tyrant. The man had actually managed to scar him in some places and as Loki ghosted his fingers over his injuries, his hatred boiled over for the lord.

He looked up and caught his reflection in the mirror. He hated how sick he looked…how broken. Loki straightened his back and held his head high. For now, he was a free man, and no one would force him to his knees again. Loki continued to gaze at his reflection when a wicked smile spread across his face. One last bit of mischief wouldn't hurt anyone…except Lord Val.

Xx

He managed to use the old tunnels out of the castle with little hindrance. He was almost gleeful as he jogged down the damp and dark tunnels of his youth, and as he did, he pushed Mina to the back of his mind. If he took even a few seconds to think of how much she would disapprove of his actions, all the fun would be sucked out of it. He wanted this, he needed this.

Getting to Lord Val's home was easy enough, seeing as he preferred to stay in the city. Loki held his cloak tighter around his face as he walked down the alley adjacent to the home, keeping clear of the many guards that were now patrolling the streets.

No one saw or heard the prince climb up to the lord's window, and Val himself was not aware of his presence until a hand clamped down roughly over his mouth, jarring him from sleep. He woke to find himself pinned under the man he thought was a prisoner.

Loki stifled a laugh as he saw the fear ignite in Val's eyes, and he kept his face very close while his gloved hand muffled the lord's screams.

"Shhh my lord, we wouldn't want the Allfather to know I've snuck out of house." The man shook violently and Loki smiled. "I've got something for you."

Lord Val struggled again when he saw Loki use his free hand to pull the dagger from his cloak.

"I don't have much time, and my 'little bitch' will miss me if I'm away too long, so…" He brought the knife up to his heart and, keeping his eyes fixed on Val's, he plunged the dagger into him. He could immediately smell the warm blood that erupted from the man and stained the sheets.

"Goodbye Lord Val."

He thoroughly enjoyed seeing the shock and agony on his face before twisting the knife, with Val's now unseeing eyes half covered by pale and heavy eyelids.

The blade remained in the man's chest as Loki made his way back to the castle. He sighed when he laid his head on his pillow, his aching muscles settling into their bed.

He spent several minutes gently running his fingers through Mina's hair and listening to her steady breathing before his fatigue caught up to him, and he slept deeper than he had in a very long time.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31:

The announcement was made, and the entire realm was in a frenzy preparing itself for invasion.

Cries of terror were heard as women gathered their children and headed indoors. Whole streets were left abandoned and the once busy marketplace was left unattended by merchants and customers alike. Men gathered around tables, their heads bent together and their voices quieted, but full of anger. Many of the oblivious citizens believed that the supremacy of the realm had once again ignited the envy of their enemies. However the number of people who knew the truth was steadily increasing, and soon, Loki's name passed from home to home, and would eventually flow into the streets leading all the way to Odin's castle.

The civil unrest the old king had always feared was coming to light, yet his hopes were with his eldest son, who had raced to the bifrost and was careening on a path towards Midgard.

Xx

"You are not making a suit for me."

"C'mon, can you imagine the press I would get for that: Iron Man and Iron Woman."

"Ugh huh."

"Wait, what if they like you more?"

"I'm constantly surprised that people like you at all."

"Saving their asses helps."

"Ugh huh."

Tony stepped behind Pepper and wrapped his arms around her waist. He loved how she shivered when his breath warmed her skin.

"You like me."

She smirked at him over her shoulder. "Is that a question?"

He laughed before he gently turned her around and 1ifted her on top of the table. He brought his face up to hers and kissed her while he slid a hand up her thigh and under her skirt. "It's been a while."

She moaned as his fingers wrapped around the straps of her panties. "We've been busy."

"I can spare a few minutes", and Pepper squealed as he brought her from the table to the floor. From there was a series of frantic movements as clothes were carelessly removed, but when Pepper reached for her boots, Tony stopped her. "Please leave the boots on, please."

She bit her lip as her fingers unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. She had plunged her hand into the open fly when a third voice interrupted them. "Sir, you have a visitor."

Tony's voice was muffled as he bit down on Pepper's neck. "I'm not here."

"Thor is on the roof."

"What!?"

"He's heading for the doors, sir."

They shot to their feet, cursing and throwing their clothes on, and by the time Thor reached the doors, Peppers was on her way out with a friendly greeting. She prayed he didn't notice her flushed skin and the hickey she knew was already forming on her neck.

The god walked over to the table where Tony had put down the newspaper he was pretending to read. "Hey man, it's good to see you, but you've got to call next time."

"How would I do that?"

Tony groaned. "I really need to install a phone up there."

"Perhaps you will have the chance soon."

He furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"I need your help."

"Ok, what's going on?"

Thor sighed, and Tony could practically see the weight he was carrying on his shoulders. "Asgard is at war, and we will need our allies to fight with us."

"Gonna need a little more information than that. Who are you at war with?"

"The chitauri and their leader, Thanos."

"Fuck; those guys again."

"Yes."

"Loki's still alive right? Hand him over to them!"

"They still demand for the tesseract, and we will all be in danger if Thanos succeeds."

Tony was silent for a long time as he leaned back in his chair and thought it over. "When does this war start?"

"You were nearly successful in destroying their entire army. We must be ready by the time they recover."

He secretly patted himself on the back for that one. "Will your brother fight or is he going to hide in his jail cell?"

"He has promised to be the first to greet Thanos."

Tony scoffed. "I want to help you buddy, especially after what happened to this city, but I can't trust Loki not to go darkside again."

"Come to Asgard and let him prove himself to you. He would never jeopardize his home or Wilhelmina."

"I get that….fine, I'll hear him out, but good luck getting anyone else to jump on this."

"We'll try our best."

"…We?"

Xx

Loki moved about the room, quickly intercepting multiple attempts the servants made to remove his valuable possessions from his chamber and to gods knew where. And as yet another shelf of books went out the doors, he turned to Mina.

"Must we do this?"

"Yes."

"The child should have his own chambers. There is absolutely no reason why we should all share the same space!"

"Are we not at war? I won't be able to take my eyes off him."

"Would it matter if I swore to you that he was safe in the castle?"

"No."

He opened his mouth to argue before his peripheral vision caught a servant removing a painting. Loki immediately stomped over to the woman, leaving Wilhelmina to laugh quietly behind his back. She knew the changes would make him uncomfortable...and angry, but they all needed to stick together. She had always wondered what her future would have in store for her, yet Asgard always seemed like a certainty. No matter what occurred in her life, she had a home, a safe home. Every foundation she thought she could stand on had crumbled under her feet, yet as she looked around her and then over at the furious man she loved, she decided that wherever he was, that was home.

She continued to happily muse over him until whispers caught her attention. She turned to a small gathering of servants who were sorting out the baby's cradle. "What are you talking about?"

The women politely bowed their heads before one of them spoke. "We were discussing some news, m'lady."

"What news?"

"Lord Val is dead."

Mina felt her heart beat slower. "Dead? How?"

"He was found in his bed, m'lady, with a dagger in his heart. The whole realm has been talking about it. "

She swallowed thickly. "Are there any suspects?"

"None yet, but I've heard that some believe it to be the work of our enemy; ridding us of our good men to weaken us."

The pain in her chest was growing. "I am sure that whoever is responsible will be found….now please carry on with your work."

The women bowed their heads and returned to the half built cradle while Mina tried desperately to redirect her attention to her own work. Her heart was fighting against her mind as she willed her suspicions to vanish.

She was so lost in thought that she did not feel Loki's eyes on her. She did not know that he had heard every word, and that his heart had slowed with hers.

Xx

It took several weeks before Thor and Tony were able to convince the remainder of the Avengers to aide in the fight with Asgard. To their surprise, the easiest of them to convince was Clint.

After hacking into SHIELD's personnel files they were able to locate the agent in Shanghai, and though they were very careful with how they approached the subject, Clint proved that there was no need for any doubt.

"Alright."

"Really?!"

"Yeah."

Tony and Thor looked at each other, sharing identical looks of disbelief. "Um, why?"

"I want to finish off the things that attacked us before they actually manage to destroy a planet or whatever you call it."

"I'm surprised you're so willing to fight knowing 'you-know-who' is up there."

Clint folded his arms over his chest. "I'm a SHIELD agent; I'm constantly working with people I don't like. I can handle a spoiled prince, but if he accidentally winds up with an arrow in his face" he shrugged, "we'll call it karma."

Thor ignored the comment and clapped a hand on his friends shoulder. "Thank you Barton, it will be an honor to fight with you again."

"Anytime."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32:

It took many weeks before Thor was granted permission from Odin and Loki to have the Avengers return with him to Asgard, though Loki would have preferred that they wait another month. Mina was due any day, and he did not want to have to worry about the extra set of Midgardians roaming the castle.

He chose to stay glued to Mina's side, but when they saw the surging light of the bifrost illuminate the sky he was surprised to see her rush to her wardrobe. He stood on their balcony, watching the small figures crossing the rainbow bridge when he heard Mina's voice.

"Are they close?"

He turned his head to speak over his shoulder, but lost his words when he saw her.

She was dressed beautifully and was fixing her hair at the mirror. Anger rose in him when he saw how flustered she looked, how excited.

"What are you doing?"

"Hmm?"

This time the tone of his voice forced her to turn around. "What are you doing?"

"I'm dressing to meet them at the doors."

"You will not."

"Excuse me?"

He walked over to her. "You will do no such thing."

Now it was her turn to be angry. "And why is that?!"

Loki's tone softened and he gently pulled her in, a hand rubbing her back. "Your place is with me, in our chambers until the child arrives."

"I'm sure I'll be alerted when the baby's ready, but Thor promised me he would bring Pepper here. I want to see her."

"Only her?"

"No…I want to see Stark, Banner, Rogers, Clint, and even Natasha if she won't shoot me on sight. You're coming with me."

He actually laughed. "You know I won't."

"Oh but you will, that's an order."

He smiled down at her. "Have you forgotten who I am?"

"I know exactly who you are, darling. I also know that if you don't make nice out there, they will never help us, and that puts us all in danger. Now put on some proper clothes, your grace; our guests have arrived."

Xx

Having the knowledge that different worlds exist is certainly not as overwhelming as actually stepping foot on one of them. For some of the mortals, it was still a challenge to accept that where they stood refuted the beliefs they had put their trust in, while others welcomed the discovery and likewise the broadening of their universal horizon.

They all filed in through the castle doors, most of them completely oblivious to the stares and whispers. Their eyes looked everywhere and at everyone, trying to take in as much as possible.

Mina and Jane both rushed forward when they spotted a very dazed Pepper. She was crushed between them in an enormous hug but it wasn't until Pepper looked at Mina that she seemed to come to her senses.

"You're HUGE!"

She laughed, beyond relieved to be reunited with her friend at last. "I won't be for much longer."

Jane still had an arm wrapped around Pepper. "You should see the amount of gifts she's gotten, though Thor and I provided most of them."

"Nothing wrong with being a proud auntie." Her eyes returned to the gold columns and high ceilings. "You guys have to show me everything."

Before the women took off, Mina looked over her shoulder to check on Loki. He stood surrounded by guards (she could not tell whether they were there to protect him or their visitors) and the tension was evident. It heightened when Clint walked over to her.

"It's good to see you. You look amazing."

"Thank you, I'm glad you all arrived safely. It means so much to have you here."

His eyes were absorbing her as the old feelings he though he left on Earth started to take root inside him again. He wanted to touch her, but didn't want to push his luck with Loki a few steps away. "I'll try my best to help; granted Loki can assure us that we're on the same team this time."

"He's changed, I promise."

He couldn't help it; he reached out and touched her shoulder, his thumb brushing against the exposed skin. "We'll talk later, okay?"

"I'd like that." As he walked away she looked at Loki again. His whole body was stiff as he watched them and she quickly turned back to her friends before they made their way out to the gardens.

Xx

"Have you decided on a name yet?"

"Yes, though it took some time. It was actually Loki that chose the name in the end."

"Good, don't tell me what it is yet. I want to wait till he's born."

Jane handed another bunch of flowers to one of the servants. "Are you scared? I mean, I've never seen an Asgardian birth, and you don't have any Earth technology."

"Even if we did have your machines, I'm not sure how much help it would be."

"Why do you say that?"

"My baby will be Asgardian, but he is also a Jotun. No one knows what to expect from this. My only fear is that the birth may be too traumatic for us."

Pepper took Mina's hand. "You have all the support and love you need. You'll be fine."

She sighed. "Yes, I will be. I'm more excited than afraid anyway."

The three strolled along for a while longer before Pepper spoke again. "Is anyone else curious about what they're talking about in there?"

Xx

Odin sat at the head of a large table along with his sons, Lady Sif, the warriors, and the Midgardians. This was a historical moment for Asgard, and he hated that it had to be conducted in embarrassing circumstances.

"Welcome to Asgard. It is unfortunate that we have come together at a time of war, but with the alliance of our forces we may be able to bring peace to the universe and secure the safety of both our realms."

At the other end of the table, Nick Fury rose to speak. "With all due respect, there won't be an alliance unless we can be sure that Loki is no longer a threat to us."

"Loki has been punished for his crimes and he has taken an oath to retire his wrongdoing."

Banner scoffed. "He nearly destroys New York and then he sits cozy in a cell for a few months. That hardly seems like an adequate punishment."

Stark agreed. "And, if I'm not mistaken, our's wasn't the first planet he tried to destroy."

Odin stood firm. "I know what he has done, and though he has been released from his cell, he does not claim any royal privilege until he proves that he can be true to his word."

"So you don't trust him either?"

Loki could not contain his annoyance. "How would you see me punished Stark?" Suddenly all eyes were on him and Tony leaned forward in his chair.

"I think you had a ginormous tantrum because daddy wouldn't let you sit on his throne."

For once he was thankful he did not have his magic on hand to silence the man. "You know nothing."

Tony remained seated, but it was Barton that challenged the prince. "We've all been lied to before, but that doesn't mean we go on a killing spree."

"What do you want from me, an apology? Or maybe giving you Wilhelmina will satisfy you."

"I should have killed you."

"Be careful Barton, the last man that threatened me felt my dagger pierce his heart."

Listening from the other side of the door, Mina's mouth fell open and she felt that same dull pain in her chest. Any other words exchanged between the men were lost to her as her world spun. She had been denying what she had always known to be the truth. She had now lost count of how many times she had felt betrayed by him and it was all too much.

_He hadn't changed. After all they had been through and all that they still had to look forward to, he was still…_

She tore away from the door, alerting the women.

"What's wrong?"

She did not turn to look at her friends. "It's nothing…I'm not feeling well."

They watched Mina slowly begin to walk down the hall, only to lose her footing and desperately hold to the wall as her other hand clutched her stomach. Pepper and Jane ran over to her and when they saw the pain in her face, they screamed for guards to help.

As soon as the second wave of pain hit her, she knew what was happening. Guards and servants rushed to her but she pushed them away, only to fall to the floor when she tried to stand on her own. She was lifted off her feet but when she realized they were heading for the healing room she stopped them, commanding them to take her to her chambers. She would stick to the plan set in place months ago, and she would not panic.

Xx

It was clear that Loki was told of her fall when he burst into the room, fear in his face. He had arrived before the birthing party, thus he was there to see Wilhelmina clutching the bedpost while she gritted her teeth in pain. When he saw the wet stain on the front of her dress he instantly knew, and his heart sank.

It was time to meet their son.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33:

Loki rushed over to her but she held up a hand, stopping him.

"No! Do not touch me!"

"Let me help you!"

"NO!"

He stood helpless until she calmed.

"Why did you do it? After all that we have been through, why this?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I heard you Loki! The man your dagger pierced was Lord Val!"

He would not deny it. "It is not as vicious as it sounds. This goes beyond tricks Wilhelmina."

"Then what is it?"

"The man tortured me almost every day I was imprisoned here and I was forced to listen to his taunts. He not only threatened me, but also you and I could not stand to let him live a second longer."

"Are you sorry? Are you sorry for taking yet another life!?"

"No", and his eyes filled with tears as he saw her stiffen as the pain returned to her body. He was surprised to see Pepper and Jane rush to her side. He hadn't noticed them until now, but their presence would not keep him from saying what needed to be said.

"Mina, you are everything to me. I would not be the man I am now without you." He took a few steps closer. "I would kill a thousand men and I would die a thousand deaths before I saw you or our son harmed. I will never be sorry for that."

As the contraction subsided, she forced herself to look at him, and what she saw was not the menacing visage of the man who had hurt her again and again. It was not the face of a murderer or a trickster. A different man stood before her, one that had cast aside the filth of his former life to begin anew…with her. Of this, she was absolutely certain.

Mina straightened and walked to him. She smiled as he took both her hands in his and kissed them. "You're going to be a wonderful father." He gave her a brilliant smile just as the midwife and her team of nurses rushed into the room.

"Pardon us sir, but we must care for Lady Wilhelmina now."

"Alright." He kissed his love deeply and placed a loving hand on her stomach before quickly leaving the room, his eyes lingering over her one last time before the door closed behind him.

Her friends remained at her side as the nurses moved about the room. They opened all the windows, letting in the cool air. Furniture was pushed to the side and a large sheet was spread out on the floor as a pole was brought into the center of the room. It was a thick, silver pole that rose high above their heads.

She was staring at the pole nervously when the midwife appeared before her, holding a white robe. She helped Wilhelmina undress and change into the loss fitting garment before reaching behind her to pull the band from her hair, releasing her brown locks to fall down her back. Next she retrieved a thin necklace from a golden box. Looking closer, Mina noticed the silver key dangling from it. It was then that the woman spoke to her:

"Have you and the prince chosen a name?"

"Yes…Alrik."

The woman smiled and placed the necklace around her neck. "May the passage be open to Alrik Lokison, so that he may join us in the realm of the living."

Xx

An utter and sheer panic, unlike anything he had ever experienced, was crushing him. Loki could barely contain the surge of fear that threatened to flatten him on the floor, but Thor stood strong as he watched him pace to every corner of the room.

"Sit down Loki, I'm sure all is well. Mina is in good hands."

"I can't, I've tried."

He sighed. "Will you be this way with all of your children?"

At that he actually stopped to look at his brother.

"You're not helping! Making me think of enduring this again is **not** helping!"

"Sorry." He watched as Loki continued his pacing.

"Where is Odin?"

"Father is still conversing with our visitors."

"Good, I want them as far away from here as possible."

"Of course, I will inform the guards."

"No, not yet. I need you here."

Thor laughed quietly at his younger brother. "I'm not going anywhere."

Xx

Mina gripped the pole firmly in order to not fall backwards as the contractions tore through her. She wished she could lie down on her bed to rest her back, but the midwife insisted that she stand to birth her child. If this was to make things easier, so be it.

She was grateful when Jane pressed a wet cloth to her forehead as Pepper pushed back the hair that stuck to her damp skin. "You've got this, Mina."

She appreciated the encouragement, but she didn't feel like she was getting anything except a headache. Her knees felt like they were going to buckle beneath her and she feared she would crack a tooth with how hard she was gritting her teeth.

She jumped when the midwife slipped a hand under her gown to feel for the baby. "Ah, now we're getting somewhere. Squat deeper dear and push when I tell you."

Mina nodded her head and when the woman signaled to her, she pushed hard and screamed as she felt the sting of her flesh being torn.

Then she stopped. She stopped when the blistering heat she was feeling shattered and was instantly replaced with a biting cold. In a matter of seconds she was shivering, violently. She watched in horror as the hands that gripped the pole lost their color and became dangerously pale. She could feel her chapped lips crack and blood slide down her chin.

Now there was a different tension in the room as the midwife pulled on gloves in order to better handle the baby that was slowly making his way out of his mother. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Alrik was fighting back, revealing his true self in the process.

Sensing that their friend was in trouble, the women jumped in to help. Pepper pressed herself behind Mina, Jane moved to her front, and Frigga brought her arms around all three of them. Together, they creating a pocket of warmth for the still shaking Mina, but when she could no longer hold on, they eased her to the floor.

She wept as she used the last of her strength to finally deliver him out of her now barren and frozen insides. Mina watched in a daze as the shrieking bundle was taken from her and rushed to his cradle. His tiny arm was all she saw before she fell into darkness.

The women quickly, yet gently lifted her off the floor and over to the bed, a trail of blood following behind them.

As they laid the unconscious and bloodied woman on the mattress she was barely breathing, and her body was stiff as if she were frozen solid. Alrik continued to cry despite numerous efforts one nurse made to soothe him and the midwife yelled for more healers. When Pepper and Jane's tears became too much, she pushed them aside. All of her concentration was spent on warming Wilhelmina from the inside out. She breathed a ragged sigh of relief when the color began to return to her face and her heart beat strong once again, but she did not wake.

Even after Alrik was finally calmed and several hours after that, she did not wake.

Xx

When Frigga entered the room where her sons were waiting, she held up her hands when Loki rushed towards her. "Settle down, son. Wilhelmina and Alrik are fine. They are resting."

He let himself lean against the wall as he ran a hand through his hair. "And the birth went well?"

"It was wonderful, do not worry yourself."

"Not until I can see them."

"It is not your time yet."

He nodded and finally fell heavily into a chair, holding his head in his hands while Thor laid a hand on his shoulder. Frigga watched over them with a heavy heart; she did not like to lie to Loki, but she would not have him suffer if there was still hope that Mina would recover.

She quietly returned to Mina's chamber. Some nurses were clearing the floor of blood while others moved to clean and redress the comatose mother. All was quiet as the queen walked over to the cradle where she looked into the face of her grandson.

He was small, yet restless as he squirmed beneath his blanket. Frigga immediately saw Loki in the boy, right down to his raven black hair. She felt a painful tug on her heart when she saw that his eyes were a deep blue. Carefully, she lifted the baby from his cradle and took him over to meet his mother.

She laid Alrik in the crook of Mina's arm before lifting the girl's wrist to drape over him. And as she looked upon them, she prayed to every god she knew. She begged for mercy.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34:

Two days after the departure of the mortals and the birth of Asgard's new prince, there were no celebrations. Servants moved about quietly throughout the day, and all there was to be heard were the shrill cries of Alrik Lokison. The boy had yet to even meet his father; his only connection was with the nurses that begged for him to stop crying.

They did not know that he missed the warmth of his mother, and the sound of his father's voice.

Xx

The Allfather ached. He ached down to his creaking bones, where it felt like the very sinew in his body had been worn down by millennia after millennia of toiling over his kingdom. He walked the halls silently, a ghostly figure in his white robe. His body, though aged, moved swiftly as he pondered every stone and golden pillar that was his home. Here he had demonstrated the power of his reign as a king, and the strength of his love towards his family. He remembered how he would hear the laughter of his children ringing down the halls as they played together. Even after a harsh battle, his boys would always manage to lighten his heart. His shoulders sagged when painful memories invaded his mind yet again; his choices forever haunting him. The laughter of his children he once delighted in had been replaced by bitter coldness.

Time could be cruel.

His eldest constantly rebelled against him, and his youngest seemed to despise him completely. He could hardly blame him. Loki was the god of lies and the apple did not fall far from the tree. He hated the lies he told his son and wished he could find truths to speak that would ease his cruelty. He strained for the words to tell him that yes, he was taken from Jotenheim for a purpose, but that purpose had dissolved the longer he held his boy in his arms.

And now Loki was a father.

As soon as he heard that the girl was with child he was afraid, terrified for them both. All the times he tried to show Loki what a man was, what a father was, had fallen apart. Did his boy know how to be a father when Asgard hardly considered him to be a man at all? Odin sighed heavily as he opened the doors to Mina's chamber, the cries of his grandson immediately filling his ears. Alrik was being tended to by an exhausted nurse, and when she saw her king, she gently set the baby down and bowed before him.

"My king, the prince will not stop crying. It seems to worsen every day."

Nearby Mina still lay as stiff as a board and as quiet as death.

Xx

It had been so long since he last saw Wilhelmina. He longed for her every hour, especially now that he resided in an entirely different wing of the castle.

He lay in bed with his head resting on his arms. He smiled whenever he looked up at the ceiling, knowing that he now shared a home with his own family, a true family. He hoped that Mina would allow him to see her soon. He did not think she would be so vain as this; making him wait till she recovered from the birth. He tried not to wonder how difficult it must have been for her.

He said his son's name aloud. "Alrik…Alrik." It was surreal. Had someone told him a century ago, no, a _year_ ago that he would be a father he would have laughed them out of the room.

His thoughts were interrupted when Odin sauntered in. He had always hated how he never felt the need to announce himself before entering someone's private quarters.

"Loki."

He said nothing.

"We need to talk, son."

Loki was still on his back as he scoffed at Odin. "You are ever persistent. Calling me by a false title will not change anything."

"There was never any falsehood in how I felt towards you."

He stood up quickly, with no attempt to disguise his annoyance. "Then why the lies? And do not say it was to protect me."

"I only feared that our relationship would change, that you would pull away from us."

"Oh I see. You would much rather deceive me than risk our wonderful relationship, regardless of any rights I have to knowing my lineage. That makes sense."

Odin ignored the sarcasm. "Do you still love your mother?"

"I do love Frigga, and perhaps if you were less of a stone wall I could forgive even your imperfections."

"Do you believe Alrik will forgive yours?"

That surprised him. "I would never lie to him."

"You will tell him of the people you have betrayed and murdered?"

"Yes."

"Hm." Odin took steps towards him. "Will you also tell him that you struck his mother and once robbed her of her free will?"

"Yes. He deserves the truth, even if he hates me for it."

He was caught off guard again by Odin's smile. "Then you are already a better father than I hoped you would be." They were both silent for a while before Odin turned towards the doors. Loki called after him.

"That's it? You came here to test me?"

Odin turned to face him again. "I will not test you nor will I try to keep you here. You will always be a prince and you will always be my child, just as little Alrik will always be my grandson. Perhaps when this war is over, we can be the family we once were. It would greatly please your mother and I."

Loki spoke just as he reached the doors. "Odin, when can I see them?"

"Tomorrow, all should be well tomorrow."

Xx

The young nurse stomped back and forth, carrying the wailing baby in her arms. She was relieved when one of the head nurses finally arrived. "Thank the gods you're here. I have tried everything but he will not stop crying!"

"Leave him in his cradle. He will tire eventually."

"What about the mother?"

The elder nurse walked over to the unconscious woman, leaning her face in close and pressing a hand to her cool neck. "The poor dear…." It was all she could say before both women left the room, closing the doors quietly behind them.

Alrik awoke early the next day, and did not hesitate to continue his cries, but now there was no one to soothe him. The nurses had all decided to take their time returning to the infant that morning, assuming that he would not disturb his mother. So the little one screamed until he was red in the face with his tiny fists balled up beside his head. Thankfully, it was then that Mina finally opened her eyes only to immediately close them when the bright light of day stung her.

She was disoriented, her body incredibly sore. She slowly sat up and as soon as she took a deep breath, the pain in her chest caused her to cough violently. She looked down at herself and was relieved that clean clothes had replaced the bloodied ones. Remembering that, her hand shot to her flattened stomach while her eyes frantically searched for where the crying was coming from. The cradle seemed miles away from her, and she grunted from the effort it took to drag her weak limbs from the bed. She braced herself before she began to limp across the floor and over to her son's cradle. Her head was spinning and she feared she would collapse before she reached him, but his cries pushed her forward, and soon she was griping the sides of his bed and looking down at him with a huge smile and full heart. She took him in her arms and her gentle voice instantly, _finally_ quieted the boy. Exhaustion prevailing, she held him to her chest as she lowered herself to the floor, and for several minutes she laid there with him, until she found the strength to stand.

He was a miracle to her, a revelation. "You aren't a monster at all. You're perfect." She kissed the top of his head. "Let's find daddy."

"He's right here."

Wilhelmina's head snapped towards the door, where she saw her love standing in the doorway, uncertainty clear in his features.

She quickly motioned with her free hand for him to come closer and as he slowly did, his heart hammered against his chest as his son came into view. By the time he reached them he was speechless, but when she carefully placed the baby into his arms he was amazed.

He watched in awe as Alrik's blue eyes looked at him for the first time. There was instant recognition between them, and in those seconds Loki became a different person entirely.


End file.
